Musings on the MegaBus

Sitting in the dark on the coach can be surprisingly productive, it turns out.

It’s funny how quickly you realise you are at the whims of the world around you and you a far less prepared than you expected to be. I’m on an overnight coach from London to Glasgow. It left at about 2200 and apparently it will arrive at about 0625. We’ll see.

This is my return journey — I wouldn’t normally take the MegaBus, at least not on the average journey, but the alternatives were far too expensive this time around. On the way down I was able to get a table, something I’ve actually never had before. Sadly, the sockets didn’t work, and I foolishly didn’t check them til later on. and on the way back up I have managed to get both. The privilege that that feels, is impressive. I hadn’t realised how much I felt I benefitted from being able to use a socket. I definitely am glad to avoid that battery anxiety that electric car owners try to avoid, but being without it taught me a few different things on the way down:

1. How much I missed my iPad — it would have been great for charging off my external power brick, and the lack of a keyboard and trackpad would be even better in these cramped conditions. I sold it, ready for new iPad Pros. Sadly, I’m awaiting a replacement.
2. How much I could benefit from a new MacBook — it would be like my MacBook Air but better, and charge via USB, so it could charge off my external USB battery too. Anything to avoid relying on others for my power!
3. I also miss my B&W headphones. While the AirPods are fine, the noise isolation provided by the P5 would have been great on the coach. It’s louder than a cruising at altitude and lasts longer than a domestic flight. Similar to the iPad, I sold them assuming I wouldn’t need a replacement particularly quickly and could wait for the right time and device, but now I have a clear reason for owning a good pair of headphones — travel.
4. The iPhone 6s Plus and a keyboard has the potential to be a great computer combo. Being able to use the iPhone’s data connection is great for watching Netflix or reading Twitter, but coupled with a writing app like Scrivener and a keyboard too, it could be great with the bigger screen. This isn’t a new idea to me, I’ve been considering it for a while, but this is the first time travelling with this phone, and it still seems like a good one. That might require some testing. Although it would require a table to use a decent stand, or it’s worse than using a keyboard case with an iPad on your knees. And they aren’t great.

But this time around, I have power for my MacBook Air, which can power my iPhone in turn, which can then provide the MacBook with a tethered data connection. That form of symbiosis is awesome and means I don’t even have to bother with my external battery pack.

I’ve been able to edit podcast episodes, triage my emails, read articles, listen to podcasts and music, write and even watch a film. It’s funny what you can achieve when you are stuck with a laptop, a power supply and a data connection!