I have a little confession to make.
Nearly three months ago, I handed in my notice at work, and neglected to find myself any other job. I have decided to become a writer, you see, a proper, full-time one. It may or may not work out but we’ve got enough saved up to keep us going for a couple of years before we’re forced back to the nine-to-five.
Now, alert readers will have spotted the flaw here. One of the drawbacks of not having a full time job – indeed, I think it may be the only drawback – is that it makes it very difficult to keep up writing a daily entry in a blog about commuting. Which means that posting may become a little unreliable here in the future. As in Silverlink in a snowstorm, or the Circle line during engineering works – that sort of level of service. There may well still be postings: I’ve got to fulfil this challenge, for a start, and I’m sure that wherever I go, my commitment to using public transport will ensure that I’ve got plenty to feel disgruntled about. But not every day. Not even every week.
At some point, when I have thought of a suitable subject, I may well start another blog. I will let you know if that happens, you can be sure. Meanwhile if you have any suggestions, let me know.
Disgruntled Commuter 
Brilliant! I love that you are doing this, I hope the writing is really successful so you don’t have to join the grind again.
You’re the most regular as clock work blogger I know, so I’m sure you’ll still find reasons!
Well good luck with this. As AMP said, you’re about the most regular themed blogger ever.
Here’s my suggestion:
Get an office (even if it’s just a pals spare room) on the other side of town. Commute their everyday to write your book. You get your book written. We still get amusing, witty, rantful, well written top stories of commuting life.
A win win situation I believe it’s called.
Ooh! How wonderful.
Fabulous news. And long may the disgruntlement continue.
no, i am not having this. you are a very good writer and i need something to read when i am at work. so go for a ride around 4 or 5 times a week and tell us all about it.
good luck john
Hmm. I won’t be able to afford to keep commuting just for the hell of it and to amuse you lot I’m afraid. But I may well get out on the bike a lot more – I may have to to stop myself eating my body weight in toast every day…
Good for you! All to often when people are able to try something like this they don’t, then regret not doing so for ever more.
As you know I’ve read your blog from the outset, and have always found it entertaining. It has always been one of my favourites.
I shall buy the book, which has a great title, when it comes out in May and take time out from allotmenteering to read it whilst lawn lounging on my plot.
By the way is that the ‘Royal’ we in your entry or have you both decided on a change ?
Well done and good fortune!
The ‘we’ refers to a book I once read called ‘First We Quit Our Jobs’ – it wasn’t that great a book, but the title has haunted me ever since…
Superb.
Someone who absolutely should properly full-time write for a living is trying to properly full-time write for a living. This gives me faith in the world and How Things Will Generally Turn Out.
How about becoming a commuting expert? Kinda like The Man In Seat Sixty One, but focussed on commuting, and with more rants? (We like the rants). ….
Never abandon a good thing, entrely-a bit of tinkering is called foe How about ‘Fulfilled ex-Commuter’?
Or T Hardy’s former blog once he abandoned the Northern Line: Far from the Madding Crowd’ or a complete cop out : Oysterless in Gaza.
Mike – the commuting equivalent would have to be called something like ‘the woman jammed into your armpit’ & might attract unsavoury google hits
Huttonian – nobody wants to read about someone else’s happiness. I’d have to find some other way of being miserable…
Hello, just a quick post to let you all know about CommuterJunction.com
a new online national community for all of us commuters. The main aim
of the site is to provide a forum where you and fellow commuters can
share experiences, provide heads-up information and have a jolly good
chat. I believe rail providers give all the information they can
regarding delays and the like, but this site can give them a helping
hand with info from the people on the street in realtime.
Hope to see you soon at CommuterJunction.com
Ok, I’m reading it NOW, while babyfather puts the kids to bed… thought it was round about this time you were quitting. Hooray! Well done and lots of sisterly cheers in the background. And not only do you get more time to write, but just think of all the childminding/DIY you could do in Palmers Green!
Don’t confine the childminding/DIY to Palmers Green, come to Brussels. Was your book first published in one of the official languages of Belgium or was it not? Show your gratitude. You can try out the trams.
Congratulations! I will miss the regular posts, but I hope the ‘new life’ turns out to be better than you hope.
Oooh, scary, but good for you! If you want to start feeling disgruntled again, you can always come visit your big sis and family and catch a few germs, ride a few French metros during rush hour, try cycling round the Arc de Triomphe, and that sort of thing. Bon courage…
Hmm. Disgruntled childminder, anyone?
Cycling in Paris … now there’s an extreme sport
A brilliant move. Really, truly excellent. I’ve long admired the way you put things (as me and also my previous in-the-cupboard/cloaked guises).
I always had a very slight nagging feeling that in (largely) confining yourself to the daily commute you were limiting yourself unnecessarily.
I’m now so excited I can hardly sit still. Bit of an inconvenience really. Meeting to go to, penguins to count, etc.
Brennig – the limit I placed on this blog was deliberate – sort of a challenge to myself to see if I could do a daily post AND keep on topic AND not bore everyone totally rigid. I didn’t always manage, but it was interesting to try…
So, disgruntled pedals slowly off into the writer’s sunset honking loudly (on her air horn) and defying the bus drivers to do their worst one last time.
Exit stage left to deafening applause
Thanks for the great blogs – you did so well to keep up a regularly high standard and if it weren’t for you I would never have discovered babymother or flightlevel390.
Hope it works out x
… followed by comedy pause, offstage squeal of brakes, horrible crashing noise, and then silence.
Thanks
Blimey disgruntled – good for you! Pan Mac’s my old firm, tha’ knaws …
Oh wow. Really jealous. Enjoy and good luck.
Thanks both.
Of course, see today’s entry – I’m not quite free yet.
thanks for the great post. NIce group of people here