Being, effectively, "Isn't Technology Wonderful [3]"
fbb is trying to research timetables for new MegabusPlus services based on Honiton. Appaently, they don't exist.
It's good of Colin ...
... to send such a comprehensive and comprehensible reply!
But, following the guidance of the on-line unhelpline (above), your investigative author has, at last been able to ask the Megabus web site for timings for the journey(s) to Penzance.
But, following the guidance of the on-line unhelpline (above), your investigative author has, at last been able to ask the Megabus web site for timings for the journey(s) to Penzance.
The date boxes and the search button remained resolutely "greyed out" and nothing fbb did would persuade the site to give up any times for journeys to anywhere from Honiton. Maybe these are the ...
"some routes we do not provide for."
It's not looking good for Colin's advice. Then fbb had a idea. Such an event is rare enough to be newsworthy and this specific explosion of inventive intelligence suggested that, because this is Megabus "Plus" train, fbb needed to make a theoretical train journey. So try Axminster to Bude.
As you can see, fbb was able to add dates, click on "search" and make a note of the journeys available; so much more helpful than publishing a boring old-fashioned timetable. This is the 21st century, after all; we have all moved on ...
... but not to Bude! In fact, finding any journeys from or via Honiton proved almost impossible; but not quite. After numerous abortive clicks, this appeared.
And, joy of joys, your life-weary blog writer was offered a train to London (and several back) and the appropriate bus stops (see abve) to use.
Not Megabus; not MegabusPlus; not even MegabusGold but MegaTrain.
Then flushed with a palpable lack of success, fbb tried London to Cullompton. At last success; at last the revelation of at least one Megabus departure fom Honiton.
Except that it doesn't actually go to Cullompton, it dumps you at the filling station alongside the M5. Nice.
But, triumphantly speaking, that 1020 from Honiton is on the bus enthusiast's created list of departures and arrivals.
Thus the intrepid fbb sets off by motor car to Honiton Station to arrive at 1000; in good time to witness departures at 1015 and 1020. The 1015 timing looked a little unhelpful as the train arrives from London at 1015, so fbb wondered whether the connection would be made. Surely it would be, as train and mega bus are both run by Stagecoach? Hmmm?
So, ensconsed on a seat in the warming spring sun, and supping a delicious cup of coffee from the station caff, fbb waited for the ...
... double deck coaches to arrive and collect their passengers. 1015 came and went. 1020 came and went. 1030 came and went. 1045 came and went. Trains ...
... came and went.
Sparky's taxi came and waited ...
... a Stagecoach 52B passed through at 1028 ...
... and a driverless coach ...
... stood resting, silently, in the builders yard.
But of Megabuses, not a sign. Was it all some kind of ghastly dream? Surely not; the web site definitely, after several hours of prodding, gave us a journey to Cullompton and beyond.
Was fbb in the wrong place? Was there another stop; perhaps in the car park on the other side of the tracks?
Unlikely.
Where was the "Mysterious [+] Missing [-] Megabus [+]?" All will be revealed tomorrow.
Well, perhaps not all.
Next and final (Mega) bus blog : Wednesday 26th March
At the risk of being deleted again (sorry, fbb, but the fingers couldn't resist typing those words!) - perhaps there were no passengers booked, so there was no need to operate the journeys?
ReplyDeletePresumably MegaBus tickets can only be pre-purchased on line, and not from the driver. If so, then why run an empty coach on a long distance journey?
I guess this is what was meant by the operative's comment on line - perhaps to be expected.
You wouldn't know, would you, without a timetable! Whilst there might be an argument for not producing a printed timetable, there can be surely no benefits to anyone by keeping the information secret on-line. Provided that obligatory pre-booking is clearly stated there can be no downside, surely.
ReplyDeleteYour "empty coach" comment is valid, of course. But as tomorrow's blog will reveal ....
But that would be telling!