To not want to walk for an hour?

[Summering23]

This is a question regarding travel to work during public transport strikes. One of my in office days fell on a tube strike day but my boss insisted that I still go in via bus.
As expected I couldn’t get on a bus for ages due to overcrowding and then the actual bus itself took three times longer than it should have. This meant I was over an hour late in.

I wasn’t in trouble but a comment was made that I should’ve just walked. The walk would have been around an hour according to Google and I don’t know the route at all. Plus to be perfectly honest I’m not up for an hour long walk after getting kids up and fed, walking to the station and a train commute.

AIBU?

I probably would just do the walk if it was one day.. walk wise an hour isn't that bad

An hour’s walk sounds nicer to me than a crowded bus. On its own it would be fine, after getting to the station and the train and then an hours walk I agree that’s not so fun (but I’d still prefer it to the bus)

An hours walk is about 3 miles at an average walking pace. It’s not exactly a trip up Everest and IMO a lot more preferable
to public transport! I walk 40min each way to work 3 days a week and don’t think anything of it. At least you get fresh air and some exercise and don’t have to be squeezed into a tin can with lots of smelly people.

An hour isn't too long to walk, like others I'd prefer it to being crammed onto an overcrowded bus. I'd just get a good podcast or playlist on and enjoy the time.

If it was every day and it was chucking it down I wouldn't be best pleased about it but otherwise I don't see that it's such a hardship for one day.

I really wouldn't want to walk an hour to work. I occasionally have to walk there and it's only 30 mins but I'm always a bit sweaty on arrival so wouldn't fancy an hours walk

An hours walk compared to standing for ages waiting for a bus and then ages on a crowded bus. I would have preferred a walk too. As for not know the way, surely you have a maps app on your phone.

Do you have any mobility issues that would make it hard for you?

Most people would find an hours walk to be fine.

I don’t think you not knowing the way is valid, you could look the route up before.

I think as a one off it’s fine.

Maybe I’m just lazy then! If it was just the walk it might be more palatable but it was on top of my commute. Plus walking through London on a strike day with thousands of protestors/ picketers wouldn’t have been the nice stroll I think some of you are imagining.

I walk more than an hour with the dog every day and when I lived in London used to regularly walk for just over an hour to get home on a nice day. It’s really not that far and not knowing the way is a rubbish reason, I assume you have a phone with maps?

Cycle?

I'd much rather be walking than bored sitting a lot a bus stop watching crowded buses pass me.

If you have a phone you would have been able to google map the route.

There is more than one street in London, you could have avoided the thick of the protest.

If I was your colleague I'd be confused why you didn't just walk as well.

If it's the choice between an hour walking or over an hour on public transport, then your boss was right, it made no sense to stick to the public transport.

good grief! My children chose to walk that to school most days instead of getting the bus- during the pandemic I walked 2 hours to work. and 2 hours back. During previous tube strikes I have walked 3 hours

3 miles is nothing at all, it is quite shocking that anyone thinks it is a big deal for a one off strike day

I always walk over using the tube. Google often overestimates and you’ll find you do it far quicker. I walk to my local station, train for 1hr20, then walk up to an hour depending on where I’m based that day. It’s my ‘workout’ on an office day.

Cycling would take 20 minutes max, but if you’re not into cycling or know the route, not so practical.

I’d definitely have walked. Especially if not raining.

My 6 year old walks an hour a day to get to and from school (about 3 miles). It's not as bad as what you think unless you have mobility reasons and would find it difficult.

I doubt I’d be alive to post this if I’d tried to take up cycling yesterday.
No mobility issues just cba walking for an hour getting sweaty and having sore feet. I didn’t travel in on the train prepared for it as I didn’t realise it would be quite as bad as it was trying to get a bus.

I regularly walked that far to work when I lived in London.

The problem is that you knew about strikes, knew that you were going to work but didn’t have a plan how to get there on time.
I think your boss comment is more along the lines you should rely on yourself (walking, cycling whatever) in these circumstances rather than on public transport.

I wouldn’t be keen if I hadn’t planned for it, partly because I will wear different shoes if just walking a short distance from car/transport to the office and walking 3 miles. Though tbh on a strike day I probably would have planned for it.

I think your boss is being ridiculous by making you coming in instead of swapping one of your wfh days. Unless they need X number of people in the office for business reasons.

I'd walk an hour as a one off as I enjoy walking but plenty of people don't.

I mean I will actively choose to talk across London instead of getting the tube if I have time. I would definitely need to make sure I was wearing really decent shoes to do a full 3 miles both ways though.

If you are going to end up doing that another time I would really recommend some (cheap) Bluetooth headphones. I have some Sony ones which were about £20 and you can set Google maps going so it talks in your ear, and it just interrupts your podcast or whatever...saves having your phone out the whole time.

For me it would also depend how complex the route is. e.g. my route across London involves about 15 mins to get to the river, then I just walk along the river for 40 mins then 5 mins to my work, which I would have to do from the tube station anyway. So the only bit I have to concentrate for is the first part really which I do think makes a difference.

Hark at all the "I'd be delighted to walk 3hrs to work".

Perhaps you and I are lazy OP, but an hour's walk before and after work? Fuck that, frankly

I'm with you......

Do you work from home part of the week ? Is there a real need for you to be physically present that day? It makes absolutely no sense to go in when public transport is so disrupted unless strictly necessary. I love a long walk but not before/ after a full day's work.