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Today I went on a train journey. I think I stayed within the rules too, but I didn’t half feel guilty and paranoid for much of it!

First, some highlights:

• Discovering that I can run from the platform (oh yes, there is only one) of Aberystwyth station to my house and back again in under 4 1/2 minutes. This was needed due to forgetting my cycle helmet and gloves and being at the platform nine minutes before departure. Phew.
• Seeing the building work on Dyfi Junction station. The line closures recently have been to raise the tracks by up to a metre to reduce flooding disruption in future. I’m really quite amazed at how they have managed to get it done with so little ‘down-time’ on the line. Good on Arriva Trains Wales.
• Putting my unicycle on and off five different trains without a slightest bit of agro from train staff about cycle reservations (and feeling how light it now is, following my weight-reduction measures of recent times knocking over a kilogram off it). In fact there were some new cycle-loading signs which are helpful once you know that they mean that is where the cycle section of the long trains will be found. Nice.
• Getting lenient treatment from the conductor lady on the cute little train from Bristol Temple Meads to Nailsea and Backwell - selling me a ticket on the train without a technically justified penalty fare.

Now, the bit which made me feel guilty and paranoid…

I’m pretty good at going on trains these days. I can do it. I can go all by myself and book tickets, arrive in time (sometimes), find platforms, load cycles… the works. But apparently I’m not so great at getting off at the right place.

I never meant to go to Swindon. Swindon is a lot further than I should have gone: from Newport to Bristol. But I don’t remember anything in between. Maybe flicking through the Metro free paper induces a trance-like state of amnesia.

So I had to turn tail and get the next train back to Bristol. Which made me feel naughty (despite it being an honest mistake which can reasonably be an excuse for the ‘return’ journey), not just for going in the opposite direction from my valid ticket, but for wanting to go to Bristol when my ticket was for Bath. It was a cunning manoeuvre which would have worked a treat coming in the right direction - just hop off the Newport train at Bristol… and continue my ticket’s nominated journey to Bath later in the day, after visiting Martin somewhere near Bristol. Easy. But coming at Bristol from Swindon would have taken some explaining, had I been challenged on what on earth I thought I was doing with the ticket I had.

Luckily I wasn’t inspected at any of the more suspect stages, and all was well. I think I played by the rules anyway… it just felt a bit scary.

Moral of the story: um, trains are nice, timely, clean, easy and cheap. Just pay attention better than me.

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