Yes, so the main headline is I got busted by the BTP doing track. As such, there won't be any new track posts, as I'm retired from UK track adventures. I will write below the reasons why, what happened and all that jazz below.

A page on the actual explore is here, GES305 - Part 3 of the Original Metro Line

I hadn't done any track for a few years, and was always waiting for a christmas at home in London, so I could venture out again. Family commitments mean most christmases are done around the country, so I wasn't in London. However, Xmas 2024 would be in London. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, I wanted to finish off the Original Tube Line, which for those who don't know, was Farringdon to Paddington - Hammersmith & City Line (H&CL) completed in 1863. I had already done Farringdon to Kings Cross, but I wanted to do Kings Cross to Paddington. Eventually, I will put up a post from that night, so will leave the ins and outs until then. But in short, it would mean passing through Kings Cross LU station, as well as Edgware Road Station, where previously (on Part 2 of this explore) I had seen trains stabled. So it was a risky move.

I entered in the Kings Cross area, and passed through the Hammersmith & City Line station without problem. You hear so many rumours about the system on Xmas Day, I would have thought they'd have someone monitoring such a big station, but there wasn't. The next few stations were small without interchange, so no issues there. At Baker Street, the New York 'City Hall' station, unmatched in it's beauty, there was definitely someone there. I could hear whistling and movement. I stood at the foot of the station platform, and just decided, sod it, and went for it. Walking as quietly as I could. And again, no problems. Next, lay Edgware Road, the final test to some extent. 

As I got there, I couldn't see any stabled trains, so 'great' I thought. As I entered from the Eastern end, I went left, around the empty reversing track. I took a few pics, and then walked up beside what appeared to be engineering offices. It was a bit scary, as I didn't know if any workers were inside, and would see me through the glass. I passed that, and then there was a 'cctv tree' towards the end of the station. A cctv tree being a cluster of cctv cameras on a pole. I think this is where I came undone. The BTP cops said I had triggered an 'intruder alarm' at Edgware Road. I hadn't noticed any infrared bouncer beams, so I assume the cctv tree had a motion detection system with it. 

Anyway, I left Edgware Road, and took a few pics, it was a lovely entrance to the station with 3 portals. Then I left for my final destination, Paddington H&C Line station. I trudged on, and passed the Southbound District Line junction where I'd been before. And this time kept going to Paddington H&C Line. I got there, stepped onto the platform for completion, and took a load of photos. All the time listening to the announcement "this station is recorded 24/7 for your safety." My intention now, wasn't to go back to Kings Cross, where I had an easy exit point. I think all along I had wanted to be caught, as I had previously planned that If I made it to Paddington, I would keep going to Wandsworth, where I live. This would mean passing all the way to Earls Court on the District line and then down the Wimbledon branch over the Thames. 

So I set off to see if I could achieve walking all that way down the tracks and through stations. As I got about 100m from the Southbound District line junction, the lights came on down the walls of the tunnel. "Oh bother," or stronger words to that effect. I jogged a bit and came to the junction, I could see a line of what looked like cops approaching in the distance from Edgware Road.

I had to make a choice, go for it down the Southbound District and hope I could get to Triangle Sidings where I knew various ways out, or go back to Paddington and try to get out the main station. Instead I decided to effectively surrender. I walked back 15m to a refuge room, that sat between the two lines, and I had been in before years ago. I sort of quietly hoped they would just flash a torch in and move on. However, I knew they would find me. At this point, I removed the CF Card from my camera, It was an adapter, that held a Micro SD card. This had all my photos from the night on it. I tucked it into the seam of my cycle jersey (I cycled to Kings Cross), then put another CF card into my camera which I'd taken one or two shots on, and packed up all my gear. I also texted my wife, to say that I was going to get caught. This was 7.35am.

It was awful sitting and waiting, as they got closer and closer. Finally someone pointed a torch in and shouted 'Ahhhh', he was I think genuinely shocked. The other guys all gathered round and I walked out sheepishly. One of the cops, we'll call 'Arsenal' as he later revealed he was a fan, asked what I was doing down here. I said taking photos. They thought I was staff, as I was wearing an orange worker jacket and orange trousers with a white helmet. They were incredulous as to why I was there with the traction current on. Arsenal then asked if I was staff. I said no, and he said so you're trespassing? And I said yes. He then said I was under arrest and recited my rights and pointed at his camera on his chest to show I was being recorded. He asked where I'd come from. I said Kings Cross. He asked me again, as he didn't believe me. You walked all that way with live current, you could have been killed. We came down here looking for a body, it's what we usually do! At this point, and actually, at all points, I didn't mention I'd been running tube for decades and knew my way around. Looking at my files afterwards, I still had the gopro footage, It took 38mins from when I must have triggered the intruder alarm to when the tunnel lights came on.

I was then handcuffed, rather painfully. And, after a lecture about how dangerous the tube lines were, I was walked back to Edgware Rd. Arsenal holding my arm, while I had to walk in cuffs with one arm above the other in a vertical manner. Stumbling about I quipped we wouldn't make the Strictly Come Dancing final at this rate, which produced a laugh. The other cops were all on radios checking stuff out. I think there were 6 altogether, 2 were BTP, the rest worked for Network Rail and their stab vests were more red. 

We got back to the station entrance of Edgware Rd, and I was stood against a wall. Arsenal let go of my arm, and his mate, we'll call 'Jim', who was younger and a genuinely nice chap, went through my bag. Arsenal emptied my coat pockets and then did a full search of me. This involved rubbing his fingers firmly all over my arms legs and chest. He checked my cycle jersey pockets, but didn't find the Micro SD card in the seam. He asked me a few more questions, "were you alone?" yes. "why?" I wanted to see the original tube line. He pointed to all my camera gear on the floor and said that's all confiscated now.

Eventually he grabbed my arm again and we were leaving the station. 'Jim' undid the chain around the entrance shutters and outside were two BTP vans. I was lead to the back of one of the vans, and there was a tiny little cell of sorts in the back. I'm 194cms tall, and was wearing cuffs in a vertical position. So it was a mission getting in. There are two metal seats facing each other over the rear wheels. There are two walls either side of plastic glass with white squares. I didn't realise one was an internal door.

This was the most humiliating bit of the whole process. Being stuck in a silly white canary cage. I felt such a twit, or similar words. I rested my head against the side of the van, mainly because I couldn't sit up straight, and we drove off. It was then I heard the fateful words, we're going to the BTP station in Wembley. 'Wembley!!', that's flipping miles away, and it's xmas day with no transport!

As we drove off, Arsenal sat in some middle compartment of the van, and was starting to find out who I was. He asked for ID, and I said I had it on my phone (as a photo). He pulled back the wall of the cell on his side, and gave me my phone and I unlocked it and gave it to him with the image. I then gave my address. Typical of a scheming cop, he would later ask me the address again, to make sure it was correct. Damn these cops are tricky! We then hit a bump, and oww, my head! Being tall in those things is not a joy. The journey lasted about 15-20mins, luckily the streets were empty. We got to the BTP yard, and 'Jim' had a few issues reversing the van in. Eventually, they were parked and opened the van door, and I was helped out. It was nice to straighten my back. 

We walked into the station, and I was pointed to stand at the reception desk. A white middle aged guy sat next to a tall black cop in glasses and had sergeant stripes on his shoulder, and he did all the talking. He explained all my rights, gave me a bit of paper with all the details on. My cuffs were removed at this point. He asked if I wanted a solicitor, I declined as I said I would plead guilty if it was only the charge I'd been arrested for, Trespass on the Railways. I was asked if I had any mental health issues, they asked again a few minutes later. I think they genuinely believed I was crackers. Two other guys were loitering, a chap of middle eastern decent and another white guy. The middle eastern guy did another body search, similar to Arsenal. He fingered the pockets of my cycle jersey I had to take off, and didn't find the micro SD card. I also had to remove my shoes and socks. They also went over me with a metal detector wand. Arsenal wasn't sure whether I should be interviewed or not, and what to do with me. He kept speaking to his boss somewhere else. I was then lead off to reside in cell 8. I noticed next door was another person, as there were white trainers outside. 

The cell was very basic, a raised slab of concrete on one side with a plastic covered mattress. On the other side a metal toilet and a handwashing facility in the wall. The cop shut and locked the cell door. I sat on the mattress and waited until I could hear him walk off. Then I checked my cycle top, my Micro SD card was still there! There was nothing incriminating on the card, but I just wanted to be sure I had my pictures. I lay down on the mattress, it must have been about 8.45am or something now. I thought of my family all back at home and the embarrassment. We had both sets of parents over for xmas for the first time. I lay on my arm and tried to get some sleep. 

About 7 or 8mins later, I was lead out again. At the desk they said I wasn't going to stay long and would go home in a few hours. I had my photo taken in a photobooth in a side room, similar to passport ones. No fingerprints or DNA was taken. 'Jim' then took my into an interview room, where I was interviewed. He recorded it on some audio device that was activated by his phone. He just asked me a few questions, and that was it. I said what I was doing there, I was alone and that I'd climbed a fence to get in. All was true. I was under caution after all. I then called my wife, which was not an easy call. I said I would be out soon. I was then lead back to my cell. I laid down again, and tried to nap. However, 5mins later I was lead out and told to put my boots back on. Back at the desk they gave me all my stuff back, and a charge sheet saying I'd been given a Community Resolution (CR) and the matter was dealt with. They explained that this CR would only show up on an Enhanced DBS check. They didn't seem to know if this was for life or a period of years (I later found out it last until I'm 100!). I was then lead out the station, and the back of the station car park. I was free! The whole thing from arrest to release took 2hours, some things are still efficient in this country. It felt more like a hospital appointment than an arrest, duration wise.

I was now in Wembley Park at 9.35am, and google told me I was 10miles from home! I checked for the micro SD card again in my cycle pocket, put the charge sheet folded up in another pocket. I messaged the Wife and started jogging home. My wife was very keen I get back for a church service, so insisted I get an Uber. My Dad was also keen to pick me up. I wanted to get away from Wembley Park, so jogged for half an hour, and got to North Harlesden. There I tried to get an Uber, but no joy. So I signed up for Lime bikes, and cycled an e-bike to Hammersmith and there waited for my Dad to get me. It was then I reached into my cycle jersey and realised the Micro SD card was missing. "FLIPPPPppppppppppppppp!" I had lost all my nicely taken photos of the night. As I got into my Dads car to disapproving looks, I realised I'd also lost my charge sheet. Never leave valuables in cycle jersey pockets, stick to bananas and gels! As I was driven to church in mostly silence, I thought over and over why didn't I secure the Micro SD card in my camera bag. Why why why!!

Did I get caught? Did I want to get caught? It was the latter. We are all different as people, all with things that makes us great, and not so great. Literally people all my life have made out I'm not normal. Some relish in pointing out I'm autistic. My Wife says I'm neuro-diverse. I don't know, but sort of know. When I was between 9-12, I was getting more and more into shoplifting. A 'bad lad' from up the street had started doing it, and I was a bored village kid in the countryside, and it seemed fun. Another neighbourhood kid joined us. I found the challenge fun and exciting, also the danger of getting caught. I was never caught. We started by taking popsicles, and pushing them up our sleeves from ice cream freezers. Over the years we did more and more outrageous thefts, and were helping ourselves in the nearest City and all over. I even took a pack of playing cards from the tower of London gift shop on a trip there.

As I matured I started to realise this was wrong, and I didn't like myself for doing it. However, it was the only game in town and I just found it easy and fun. The only way to stop would be for me to get caught. So I set about trying to nick a Transformer toy from a supermarket (meh, it was the 80s). I took ages trying to get it out from the plastic cover, people were endlessly walking by as I looked super suspicious. I finally got it out, and walked around the store and left. Predictably, I felt a hand on my shoulder, a store detective asked me to return to the shop. We went upstairs and they took down all my details. Later I would get a beating from father with some 2x4 wood. However, I was glad I was now out of the game. The 'bad lad' would later end up in a youth offenders prison, where he somehow got hold of steroids and was a wall of muscle next time I saw him, and the manic look of a pitbull dog. My other neighbour didn't stop, and kept coming home with denim jackets and skateboards and all sorts. He was finally busted at a supermarket he worked at years later, with booze and all sorts in his staff locker.  I felt glad I got out of the 'game' when I did. 

As you can imagine, with track, the same approach was needed. I loved track, I loved the photos I could get down there. In a world where any landmark gets thousands of photos a day by tourists on their phones, I could get photos very few if anybody had taken photos off. That was a buzz. There was also the excitement of being somewhere you shouldn't in a world with so much control and surveillance. Then there was the chances of being caught, which the more track I did, the more cocky I got. I just could never seem to even remotely see how that would happen. However, like the shoplifting, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop by myself, there would always be the temptation to go back. I had maps and lists of all sorts of exits and entrances to the network, I knew it pretty much inside out. 15 years of exploring the tube can get you there. So when I was quite literally at a crossroads, well, a junction, I decided I needed to be caught. It's an odd coincidence, that the only other time I was 'caught' on the tube, was literally 20m from the refuge room I was caught in (Reflected in Part 2 of this adventure - here). I had tried to hide from trains behind a wall of cables when service started earlier than I expected. I had managed to escape via Paddington District line station, where the entrance gates were open. 

The biggest reason I wanted to be caught, was that I'm not getting any younger, and do need to grow up a bit. I turned 50 and I have an amazing wife and brilliant child. Running next to and crossing rail tracks carrying lethal traction current, while facing arrest and all that jazz, just isn't the smart thing to do. I don't think I ever thought of the consequences of touching a rail, and that it would ever happen. I was always super careful, but there were times when I was about 10cms from the traction rails, getting around objects on the track etc. I did actually trip and fall when at Paddington, luckily landing on ballast stones. 

Yet another reason I needed to stop, was that I found that social media gratification was part of why I was doing it. I started to question who I was doing this for, me, or a few likes on social media. If you get good pictures, or have done something amazing, you obviously feel the need to share it. Moving in different circles since meeting my Wife, I was hanging out with shipping line owners, MPs, surgeons/consultants, barristers etc. None of whom were interested in my exploits. I realised that this wasn't a way to make me interesting to people anymore. It had to my explorer friends, friends from University and my childhood chums. My son goes to a prestigious boarding prep school in Surrey, where most of the male parents just talk about, golf and...very little else. I continually refuse to join that world, and at the moment, don't know where I fit in anywhere. I love cycling and exploring new areas, but have done most of the South East. Getting to new areas involves time and money, things I'm always short of. BUT, if you see me on a golf course, you have permission to shoot me!

So have I quit exploring altogether, no. Obviously, although I know I could do pretty much anything on track around London and not get caught, especially with the knowledge I gained from xmas day, and am sharing here. I don't want that risk and to have to explain another arrest to my Wife. Or worse, have someone like Arsenal or 'Jim' explain to my Wife and child my charred body had been found. I still have a desire to see Croix Rouge in Paris though! Any non-track place in the UK is still a possibility. However, the opportunities are getting rarer and rarer to go out. Tall buildings in London are two a penny now, and have much heavier security than before Brad Garrett and his LCC chums brought publicity to the activity. Although Kudos to those that still manage to get up towers, as I saw recently in Canary Wharf. I also still see Urbanity and other explorers older than me out and about. Kudos to them too. I hope to never say I'd not explore anymore, even if it's trying to find the toilet in my nursing home!