Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Friday, April 18, 2008

Girls with bike are evil!

Disclaimer: Apologies, dear Irish friends, this has nothing against you, but the great service we all experience everywhere, here in Ireland. I've had enough :-) as well!

This is one of my latest adventures in the DART, Dublin Area Rapid Transit, or in other words - the Dublin suburban train. It happened last Saturday, and it still makes me angry when I think of it, so I decided to share it with you.

I was supposed to take my bike (bicycle, not a motorbike) from our offices' parking lot, since other employees who are cycling into work daily are having great difficulty in finding a parking spot.

The only way I can do that is by: 1. Cycling home. On a fair day it should take me about 1.5-2 hours. I live about 20km away from the city center, and have to carefully share the roads with the crazy Irish drivers. By the way, not too long ago I was informed that 50% of the accidents are actually caused by a certain East-European country's citizens, that Dublin (also Ireland) is flooded with.
2. Since the weather's crappy in the last few months (It's still winter here, you know) - the other option is taking it home on the DART. Therefor, not too long ago, I asked the cashier whether it is possible, and he told me that basically it is not allowed, but on weekends it shouldn't be a problem, especially late evening hours.

So last Saturday was I had the perfect opportunity to take it home on the DART. It was after 22:00, the trains are usually empty those hours, because everybody's in the Pub already. So I unlocked the bike, took it to the deserted train station, and about to go towards the platform, but, alas, there were 3 security guys, preventing me from doing so. So I started to argue with one of them, who was very much willing to help... with finding another solution for me taking the bike back home to Howth... He was also calling the bus company in order to check whether I can take it on the bus. But unless it's a folded bike, the answer is no.

Then he suggested that if it was another train station, say, a more deserted one, it could be possible. Then I suggested to go to Lansdown Road, and he said it would be perfect.

So I put on my helmet, vest, lamps, and I was driving there so fast and I made it in 4 mins (should take 7 usually). But then there was someone in the ticket office... And he was talking like a robot, repeating himself the way only Irish service providers know. I argued again, of course. Didn't help. Did I mention it was cold outside, raining and I didn't have my bicycle gloves?

So I had to ride back to the work, lock the bike, and make it to the train in 8 mins, unless I felt like waiting for the next one, 45 mins later. Which wasn't that bad, I could just sit on the massage chair and read a book. but I was so cold and wet...

The most difficult part was locking the bike, since my fingers were frozen, I could hardly do that, and till now I can't remember how good I locked it and if it's still there. But I'm quite sure it's still there.

I made it just on time, running to the platform in order to get on the train that just arrived, and get home as soon as possible and take a very hot shower.

I was sitting there for few mins until I could breath properly. Then I was looking around me, at the people I was sharing the carriage with. Then I noticed 2 guys in front of me, very loud speaking and drinking. From big bottles of vodka and something else that seemed more likely to be scotch rather than beer or wine.

Later on few teenagers got on the carriage, each is carrying his/her own six packs, and drinks from another can or bottle of some other alcoholic drink.

And that is the lesson of this experience: having drunk people on the train is soooo much safer than having a bike in it.

Until the train driver has to stop it for 20 mins and wait for the Garda (Police) to come and evacuate a drunk who's causing trouble on the train and refused to get of it.