Travelling is a true joy. For me at least, there is nothing more exciting than seeing a new place. Perhaps being on the road is not exactly the fun and enjoyable part, but breathing some new air, hearing new sounds and bathing in new sights all define who I am and what I live for.
It was with this excitement that I travelled to Manchester on Sunday. Actually I was there on business, but it still was a nice change to be away from London for a few days. Turns out Manchester’s weather is a lot worse than London’s. While I had plenty of warning from forecasts, the change in weather was still unexpected.
The crisp Manchester cold, coupled with the freezing rain on my first day there might have cut my sightseeing a little bit short, but it was still adequate. Turns out Manchester’s size really puts into perspective just how massive London is. I absolutely could not believe one or two days were pretty much enough to see Manchester’s city centre. Of course, anyone who remembers their first day in London would understand how incomparable the two therefore are.
I would recommend it for a getaway – especially considering how much cheaper Manchester is.
Then again I couldn’t help but question the rail system that I relied on for my trip there. As small a problem as this might have been, it made the trip nevertheless slightly annoying. “Booking a forward-facing seat only to realise you are seated backwards on the train” defined the trip there, and “buying a ticket in quiet zone only to realise the person next to me has brought her 1 year old baby along” was the highlight of the trip back.
Not massive problems you see.
But nevertheless, I can’t help but wonder if babies are more accepted in a quiet zone simply because they are babies (and therefore impossible to turn off, unlike a cell phone). It is great to be in a carriage where people don’t use their cell phones or listen to loud music. But it would also be somewhat considerate for parents to realise that while others understand that babies will make noise, the quiet carriage really is for people who want silence.
Şeref İşler is a broadcast journalist at the BBC World Service’s Turkish section.