Man Takes Epic Journey To See How Far From London He Could Get By Bus In One Day
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A man has completed an epic journey on public transport in an attempt to get as far away from London as he could within 24 hours.
He used only buses, and managed to travel 260 miles outside of the capital.
So, where can you get to that is 260 miles from London by bus? The Lancashire town of Morecambe, of course.
39-year-old civil servant Jo Kibble - who uses the Twitter handle @politic_animal - documented his entire journey as he went along, and took only a packed lunch with him for the journey.
Along the way he encountered some intriguing sights - such as Preston's amazing brutalist bus station - and some less exciting sights, such Aylesbury bus station, which he described as 'one of the most depressing places on earth.'
Things no-one else is crazy enough to be doing right now: final prep for a trip to answer one of the great unanswered questions: just how far can you travel by bus from London in 24hrs? I *think* I know on paper, but in practice...? Follow along from 3am as I slowly go mad. #bus24 pic.twitter.com/Ga8hzYwgP6
- [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) August 19, 2021
All in all, his gargantuan bus odyssey only cost him £56.95, which is way less than a train from London to Morecambe would have set him back, but more than the advance fare he bagged in advance to get home.
Also, the train - whilst more expensive - wouldn't have taken almost a whole day.
After plotting his course extensively on paper, he decided that Morecambe, home to world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, was about as far as he could go.
So, at 3:00am on Friday morning he boarded the N9 towards Heathrow Airport from Charing Cross, the notional centre of London.
Nah, made it fine in the end. Now on a very purple number 7, all to myself. Quitting the stifling metropolitan mores of Greater London for the fresh, honest air of Slough. #bus24 pic.twitter.com/2KsKDr6DNR
- [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) August 20, 2021
He took in the delights of Slough, and said he particularly enjoyed the bus journey through the Peak District, but was less keen on the concrete jungle he encountered in parts of Greater Manchester.
Aylesbury bus station. The sort of place that really makes you feel like A Valued Public Transport User. Somewhere is going to have to try hard to beat this for accolade of worst bus station of the journey. #bus24 pic.twitter.com/MLnqibK1Um
- [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) August 20, 2021
There were obstacles to overcome, such as delays caused by roadworks and - more unusually - bus drivers stopping to converse in Italian with tourists, but he eventually chugged into his destination a whole six minutes ahead of schedule.
After a full 21 hours and 24 minutes, he was ready to take up his place in the hotel room that he'd booked for a well earned rest, as well as enjoying the town's former railway station, which - luckily - is now a pub.
00:29 - 6 minutes early after 21hrs and 24mins, I think I've reached the furthest point you can get to by bus from Charing Cross in a 24hr window. Morecambe Bus Station, 339.44km from Charing Cross as the crow flies. #bus24 pic.twitter.com/70UakzFv5Y
- [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) August 20, 2021
On Twitter, where he documented the journey from start to finish, Jo said: "When I came up with this idea of a stupid, long bus journey just to amuse myself I didn't think it would be of any interest to anyone much else apart from me.
"So I am amazed and really pleased that people have had so much fun and enjoyed the tweeting.
"Thank you so much for your support, kind words, encouragement and advice, it meant a lot."
You can take in his full and unabridged journey on the Twitter thread linked here.
