Metrolink..

Was on my own last night when normally six of us go in two cars. So decided to get the tram. Drove to Crumpsall and thought I'd be clever by getting an Altrincham tram to Gmex, where I'd pick up an Ashton tram before it got to St Peters Square/Piccadilly Gardens, where the biggest crowds were likely to be.

Unfortunately I just missed a double unit at Gmex but naively thought another would be along shortly. I waited, and waited, and waited but no Ashton trams. 3 to Shaw/Rochdale, 2 or 3 to Victoria, a couple to Bury, all of which were double units and largely empty. Why couldn't some of those empty double units have been re-routed to Ashton or at least to the Etihad/Velodrome?

Then, after about 20 or so minutes, a single unit to Ashton came along, which was absolutely rammed. Fortunately a few got off at that stop so I could get on but most people at the subsequent stops had no chance. After leaving home just after 6, I finally got to the Etihad just after 7:30 and many behind me won't have made it until kick off or after.

At one point I saw an empty Bury double tram and thought "Should I just fuck it off and go home?". At that point there was about 5 minutes before the Ashton tram but if it had been any longer I'd have jumped on that Bury tram and gone home. After the game I walked into town and it took me less time than the tram coming out.

No wonder people who rely on public transport don't bother.
 
Was on my own last night when normally six of us go in two cars. So decided to get the tram. Drove to Crumpsall and thought I'd be clever by getting an Altrincham tram to Gmex, where I'd pick up an Ashton tram before it got to St Peters Square/Piccadilly Gardens, where the biggest crowds were likely to be.

Unfortunately I just missed a double unit at Gmex but naively thought another would be along shortly. I waited, and waited, and waited but no Ashton trams. 3 to Shaw/Rochdale, 2 or 3 to Victoria, a couple to Bury, all of which were double units and largely empty. Why couldn't some of those empty double units have been re-routed to Ashton or at least to the Etihad/Velodrome?

Then, after about 20 or so minutes, a single unit to Ashton came along, which was absolutely rammed. Fortunately a few got off at that stop so I could get on but most people at the subsequent stops had no chance. After leaving home just after 6, I finally got to the Etihad just after 7:30 and many behind me won't have made it until kick off or after.

At one point I saw an empty Bury double tram and thought "Should I just fuck it off and go home?". At that point there was about 5 minutes before the Ashton tram but if it had been any longer I'd have jumped on that Bury tram and gone home. After the game I walked into town and it took me less time than the tram coming out.

No wonder people who rely on public transport don't bother.
I fuck the tram to the ground off, there’s no point. I hop on at Navigation Road so it’s a quiet tram and get off at Piccadilly Station and walk up / back. Fuck knows what I’d do if I was older and couldn’t do the walk. Getting a tram to the ground is a headache and it really shouldn’t have to be.
 
Normally drive.

In town on Saturday, had a few scoops, so I caught Metrolink.

Got on the Metrolink platform at Piccadilly Train Station.

First 3 trams where rammed. No chance of getting on.

4th tram was rammed. Thought f*ck it, not waiting any longer.

Squeezed on.

If I was a COVID virus, I'd have f***ing loved it.

Not enough trams or enough carriages on each tram to the Etihad.

Not a chance of me trying to catch a tram back into town after the match.

Walked back into town after the match. Fresh air. Stopped of at CASK in New Islington for few more scoops.
 
. . . . . . . . Why couldn't some of those empty double units have been re-routed to Ashton or at least to the Etihad/Velodrome? . . . . . . . .
I think that's what TfL do in London. "This bus is a 143 terminating at London Bridge" - until it gets halfway and then they tell yer that it's terminated at the current stop. I always thought they rerouted them. The whole system is computerised to the extent that yer can have an app that gives yer the fuckin' registration of the bus that yer about to catch. But we in the North are unworthy . . . . . .

I got an Etihad tram from Victoria the other day (Norwich game I think), like yer used to be able to, and the Metro guy said they were doin' a few from Victoria to the Etihad Campus on match days.
 
Last night after the final whistle we walked back to Piccadilly where a single unit tram arrived for Altrincham. Everything was fine until we got to Deansgate where loads of teenage girls got on (plus City fans) and it was rammed. It arrived at Cornbrook and no one, including many Blues could get on. I assume some boy band teenage thing had been on around Deansgate , the point being do the Met bosses ever research what events are happening and think about putting doubles on ?
If I had been a Blue at Cornbrook I would have been well pissed off and when the next night match came along .......
 
Was on my own last night when normally six of us go in two cars. So decided to get the tram. Drove to Crumpsall and thought I'd be clever by getting an Altrincham tram to Gmex, where I'd pick up an Ashton tram before it got to St Peters Square/Piccadilly Gardens, where the biggest crowds were likely to be.

Unfortunately I just missed a double unit at Gmex but naively thought another would be along shortly. I waited, and waited, and waited but no Ashton trams. 3 to Shaw/Rochdale, 2 or 3 to Victoria, a couple to Bury, all of which were double units and largely empty. Why couldn't some of those empty double units have been re-routed to Ashton or at least to the Etihad/Velodrome?

Then, after about 20 or so minutes, a single unit to Ashton came along, which was absolutely rammed. Fortunately a few got off at that stop so I could get on but most people at the subsequent stops had no chance. After leaving home just after 6, I finally got to the Etihad just after 7:30 and many behind me won't have made it until kick off or after.

At one point I saw an empty Bury double tram and thought "Should I just fuck it off and go home?". At that point there was about 5 minutes before the Ashton tram but if it had been any longer I'd have jumped on that Bury tram and gone home. After the game I walked into town and it took me less time than the tram coming out.

No wonder people who rely on public transport don't bother.
I used to live on Deansgate, if I drove in and parked in the blue parking it usually took me an hour, so I decided to get the met from Deansgate, could never get on it, so I would get one to Piccadilly and get on one there, usually took me an hour in total.

Coming back either way was worse, stood in the queue for the met for a daft amount of time or stuck in traffic trying to get out of the car park, was usually 1.5 hours.

Ended up just walking to and from the match, always took me an hour, that year was my last season ticket, public transport and the roads to the stadium is/are a joke.
 
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Last night after the final whistle we walked back to Piccadilly where a single unit tram arrived for Altrincham. Everything was fine until we got to Deansgate where loads of teenage girls got on (plus City fans) and it was rammed. It arrived at Cornbrook and no one, including many Blues could get on. I assume some boy band teenage thing had been on around Deansgate , the point being do the Met bosses ever research what events are happening and think about putting doubles on ?
If I had been a Blue at Cornbrook I would have been well pissed off and when the next night match came along .......
they don't mate, I get it to media city every day. doubles and more between 7-8 anything after little as poss. and all the empty trams have the most carriages.
 
Was on my own last night when normally six of us go in two cars. So decided to get the tram. Drove to Crumpsall and thought I'd be clever by getting an Altrincham tram to Gmex, where I'd pick up an Ashton tram before it got to St Peters Square/Piccadilly Gardens, where the biggest crowds were likely to be.

Unfortunately I just missed a double unit at Gmex but naively thought another would be along shortly. I waited, and waited, and waited but no Ashton trams. 3 to Shaw/Rochdale, 2 or 3 to Victoria, a couple to Bury, all of which were double units and largely empty. Why couldn't some of those empty double units have been re-routed to Ashton or at least to the Etihad/Velodrome?

Then, after about 20 or so minutes, a single unit to Ashton came along, which was absolutely rammed. Fortunately a few got off at that stop so I could get on but most people at the subsequent stops had no chance. After leaving home just after 6, I finally got to the Etihad just after 7:30 and many behind me won't have made it until kick off or after.

At one point I saw an empty Bury double tram and thought "Should I just fuck it off and go home?". At that point there was about 5 minutes before the Ashton tram but if it had been any longer I'd have jumped on that Bury tram and gone home. After the game I walked into town and it took me less time than the tram coming out.

No wonder people who rely on public transport don't bother.
I get the tram to the ground every week. Normally boad at Piccadilly gardens and not.too bad. Southampton game was horrendous so walked there. Always walk back to town and board at SPS to Manchester airport. There's not enough trams waiting at full time on match days. They should shut the Ashton line at half-time and have 9 double trams waiting, 1 at each stop, heading to one of the depos and people can change in town.
 
I generally leave it late and get an uber from Ancoats to the ground, squeeze an extra pint in.

Got the tram once on a night game, never again.
 

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