Busted!

Getting home faster for less money was indeed too good to be true.


One thing I’ve learned about commuting is that everybody’s trying to figure out little tricks to shorten their commuting time. Whether its a different route, a combination of trains or knowing just where to sit to hit the escalator the fastest – everybody’s looking for an edge.

I’m no exception.

I thought I’d found a slick way to shave a few minutes off my commute, and it seemed to be working. Kita Senju (the first station my train hits on the trip home) is a big hub, with lots of different lines running through it. I’d noticed that the platform where my train stops on the way back to Asakusa was shared with an express train heading there as well. Seemed to me that I could hop off my train there, wait a few minutes then get the faster train home, actually passing my regular one along the way. The perfect plan, right?

Well, almost.

It seemed to work for a couple weeks. Get the local at my work station, hop off at Kita Senju, then grab the express back to Asakusa. It only saved me about five minutes, but what the heck. That was five minutes I didn’t have to spend on the train. And the express trains are much nicer. Plush seats, fold-out tables – even bathrooms! How clever of me to figure this out!

Or not.

Every scheme has something that can go wrong, and mine was no exception. One night last week I had a conductor come up to me after I’d gotten on at Kita Senju. It seems if you want to ride the nicer train, you have to pay more.

Oops.

It cost me ¥300 extra, which is crazy, since my regular fare from work to home is only ¥240. (A bit less, actually, since I use a commuter pass.) I didn’t try to argue with him. It was obvious that was the rule and that I’d gotten away with breaking it more than a few times.

Oh well.

So now it’s back to taking the regular train home every night. It’s really not that big a deal. I’d been doing it for three months before trying to get home earlier, so I can easily do it again. I’ve got lots I can do to keep myself entertained for the short trip home. DS, books, iPod – even blogging.

I’m writing this on the train right now. ^.^