Wimbledon to Borough Markets

In the lovely leafy suburb of Wimbledon, commuters have two choices to get out of Zone 3 and into central London – the train or the Underground. I always choose the train, because it’s faster and more comfortable compared to the District Line, which creaks its way past fourteen stops before it intersects with the Jubilee, the tube line that will take me ultimately, to Borough Markets where my modelling agency is based.

At rush hour, the Southwest service comes every three to four minutes but each carriage is filled with commuters coming in from Woking, Guildford and Chessington, to name but a few of the outer suburbs. I jump on the 08:14, which will get me to Waterloo by around 08:35, and head for a strategic handhold near the middle of the carriage. At , two stops away, most of these sober, dark suited workers will alight for other Overland trains to other London destinations and sometimes if I’m lucky I manage to snare a seat. It takes almost twenty minutes from Wimbledon to Waterloo, as passengers push, jostle and shove to get off or on the train, so a seat is a rare and treasure thing for sore, aching feet.

After Earlsfield, Clapham Junction, and Vauxhall, the train pulls up to Waterloo. I jump off the train, diving into the mass of humanity that flows out of the station, head out the barriers and down escalators into the bowels of the London Underground.

Here the fun really begins. The Underground station at Waterloo is a mess of neon lights, people, buskers, “travelators”, and escalators. Pick the wrong entrance and you could find yourself wandering around following “This way to the [insert name] line” signs for what feels like ages. I dodge the traffic across Waterloo station, head past the benign, life-size elephant made from chicken wire and go down the escalators towards the closest entrance to the Jubilee Line. This little manoeuvre saves me time threading through the traffic below-ground.

Counter-intuitively, the closet tube stop to Borough Markets is actually not Borough on the Northern Line as many would have expected, but London Bridge. From Waterloo it is only two stops to my destination, a short journey which takes three to four minutes on a good day; five to six if there are delays. My total journey time from the south west to south east takes about half an hour, inclusive of transit times.

Join me on my journey

Capilano Transit Center to Fairmount McDonald Hotel by Bus

Edmonton, in Alberta, western Canada doesn’t do public transportation that well. Or rather, it doesn’t do a lot of it. The car rules here. It’s a city that was built for the motor vehicle. Not only because it sprawls for miles and miles, but because for six months of the year the ground is covered in snow and the average winter temperature is about -20 Celsius.

But there are some people who don’t drive. My name’s Tegan; and I am a public transportation user.

In Edmonton, public transportation means the bus. It’s the only credible public transportation system Edmonton has, which could be why it’s operated efficiently. The buses are frequent and run to schedule. In fact, most times the drivers are so conscientious that they get their buses out a few minutes ahead of schedule, perhaps overlooking that this approach is the same as arriving at a stop a few minutes behind schedule – at least for those who plan their journeys using the published timetable. Therefore, it always pays to be a few steps – and minutes – ahead of the bus driver.

My daily journey involves walking from my house to the Capilano Transit Center, which, depending on the weather, can take anywhere from between about five and eight minutes. The streets are quiet with only the odd motor car crawling past.

The 7.35am bus is usually already in the transit center (naturally!) when I arrive. Not only are Edmonton’s bus drivers conscientious, they’re also considerate. Even when the driver’s away getting a coffee, he or she will always leave the bus doors open so you can board, which I do. I sit in my usual place: window seat in the first row of the rear section (driver’s side).

The bus sets off relatively empty. As the journey progresses, the familiar faces get on. The slim woman who sits at the front and sometimes carries a guitar case; the big guy who sits behind me and spends most of the journey good-naturedly moaning to his traveling companion about whatever’s sticking in his craw that morning.

The bus takes no more than around 20 minutes to get downtown, which is my destination. In the winter, as the bus climbs the hill to the downtown core, we passengers are treated to the spectacle of the rising sun’s colors painting the river valley below. And then once the bus turns the bend, it’s time for me to alight at the Fairmount McDonald Hotel. Many of my fellow passengers get off with me at this stop, where we then swiftly move through the city to our respective buildings.

Commuting by Ferry in Sydney

If you live in or near one of the harbourside suburbs of the Australian city of Sydney, the most pleasant way of commuting to work in the Central Business District (CBD) is by ferry.

As the ferry approaches Circular Quay, be inspired by the majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the largest steel arch bridge in the world, and the iconic Sydney Opera House glistening in the sunshine.

Sydney Ferries operates a network of services across Sydney Harbour and down the Parramatta River. The main ferry terminus is at Circular Quay, from where you can either walk to your office or take a bus or train.

On some of the ferries, there is a cafeteria service, so that you can relax and enjoy a coffee and perhaps even your breakfast on the way to work.

Suburbs with quick and easy access to the CBD by ferry include Milsons Point, Kirribilli, Balmain East, Greenwich, Neutral Bay and Double Bay. From other suburbs, it is still possible to commute by ferry but it will take longer – the journey from Sydney Olympic Park to Circular Quay, for example, takes about 50 minutes.

There are regular services in the morning and evening commuting hours on all of the ferry routes, making it possible to commute from almost all of the 39 wharves serviced by Sydney Ferries. The only wharf from which it would not be possible to commute is Parramatta, since the first ferry from Parramatta does not arrive at Circular Quay until about 11am.

The most cost-effective way of commuting by ferry is to purchase a weekly, quarterly or annual TravelPass ticket. There are two types of TravelPass: one that allows you to travel on ferries, buses and trains and one that is valid for travel on ferries and buses only. A TravelPass ticket gives you unlimited travel within the colour-coded zone that you choose. Further information can be found on the sydneyferries.info website.

On a fine day, sit outside of the main cabin and enjoy the fresh air and the wonderful views of Sydney Harbour. A variety of scenes will enfold before your eyes – unspoiled countryside, small islands, the skyscrapers of North Sydney and the CBD, and perhaps a super-sized gleaming white cruise ship visiting Sydney for a day or two.

On your way home, the same views will look different in the twilight as the sun gently sets over Sydney Harbour. Your journey home will help you to put your working day into perspective.

Angel to Canary Wharf on the Tube, London

Angel is one of the deepest on the network and a long bank of elevators leads down into its depths. It is located on the Bank branch of the black, or Northern Line, in Zone 1 of London’s Underground network, between Old Street and King’s Cross stations.

I catch the 08:28 or 08:31 southbound train to Morden, though sometimes if I am running late it might be the train after that. They come about every 3 to 4 minutes, if there are no delays on the tube. If delays occur, the platform is often packed three deep and everyone has to wait while stress levels climb. Unlike trains, commuters don’t usually board a regular carriage – often it is just the one that is least packed, or the one you manage to squeeze on. By the time the Northern Line gets to Angel, it would have passed by high traffic areas like Hampstead, Camden and Kings Cross – so perish the thought of an available seat! We are packed like sardines on as the tube whizzes past Old Street, then Moorgate.

After about seven to ten minutes, the tube stops at Bank station, and the human confluence spills out of the carriage, only to be replaced by a fresh set of elbows, knees and shoulders all squeezed tightly in. Rush hour on the London Underground is not for the fainthearted. I sometimes choose to change for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) here if the Jubilee Line is experiencing delays. To reach Canary Wharf, I catch the Lewisham bound DLR from Platform 9, which departs every five minutes. The journey to Canary Wharf from Bank takes eleven minutes and is a pleasant ride above ground.

If the Jubilee Line is running smoothly, I stay on the Northern Line until it gets to London Bridge. Here, I change for the eastbound Jubilee Line, which departs every two to three minutes. The Jubilee comes more often than the DLR, and there are also fewer stops along the way, which is why I choose to change at London Bridge rather than catch the DLR from Bank. The Jubilee is London Underground’s newest line, and the only one to interchange with all other tube lines. That’s why it’s always packed to the gills with commuters. It takes only eight minutes on the Jubilee before I am at Canary Wharf, at the end of my daily morning journey.

Join me on my journey

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