A rant about the 384 bus and the TFL bus times app which simply doesn't work properly

 Last night, I went to watch Hadley FC at the Brickfield Lane Stadium. They were kicking off at 7.45pm. As part of the fun for me is to have a couple of beers with friends at the ground, I took the bus. I can walk up my road and get a 384 from Glendor Gardens. As I rather like a pint before the game, I set off in good time at around 7.10pm. The TFL app said that the bus was coming in eight minutes. The journey takes around ten minutes, so I had plenty of time. After ten minutes, the app was still showing  minutes. A 292 going to Borehamwood was showing 3 minutes, but turned up. I was tempted to take it and walk the rest. I'd have still been on time, but it is still about 1/2 mile walk. I decided to wait. After another 20 minutes, another 292 came. That bus was actually showing as due in 2 minutes, a minute after it departed. By this time it was nearly kick off time. The 384 was showing as 8 minute still.

So cutting my loses, I got on the 292 at Scratchwood open space and started walking. I took the precaution of checking if a 384 was due. It said 7 minutes. I set off. almost immediately a 384 bus  zoomed past me. Half way to the ground, another 384 zoomed past. By now I was furious. A mate saw me and took pity and gave me a lift the last 1/4 of a mile. I was fifteen minutes late. 

I ask the question to TFL. What is the point of travel apps if you can't rely on the information. If there had been a warning about the delays, I'd have made other arrangements, either taking the 251 and walking or driving. I'd not have missed 15 minutes of an enthralling game that Hadley won 3-1 after going 1-0 down to an amazing free kick. 

The point is serious though. People get the 384 to Barnet to use the hospital, for appointments. I get that occasioanlly things go wrong, but the app is relied on. There should be notifications when it isn't working properly. I get that me watching Hadley is not a matter of life and death, but for some people missing hospital appointments are. 

If the Mayor of London is serious about his commitment to clean air, we need public transport systems that work. That means travel apps must work properly.

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A couple of years ago I wrote a song amd made a video about the awful state of the UK's transport systems. I rather like it.