Public Transport goes chaotic in the West

It was really funny this morning, after a wonderful week travelling a few times into town and out last week by public transport, today I saw it when it malfunctions. We set out early because I believe in using the train before the train before the train that just gets in in time. BUT we still had trouble. At Kensington South the delay started, with a very friendly driver informing us of signal faults and expected delay of five minutes then coming back on and increasing that to another fifteen minutes. About twenty minutes later, in light of his not hearing from the main communications room he advised those of us in a hurry to leave the train and walk to the nearest bus stop. One kilometre later, we see that too many people are there before us, so then take the next kilometre walk to the tram stop. This is crowded by the people who have come from the train stop near it, but the tram has room. We had made a good decision.
On the way we talked to a pleasant young man who was visiting from Canberra and travelling to town to then travel to another destination for a lift to a wedding in Bendigo. On the tram we met a family from Shepparton who had come down early to see the Myer windows. Well there trip took them longer and a different route. It had been a V line train at the other stop. Still need to learn what stop it was.
In town we met our friend who had filled in the time by visiting a store full of books and choosing some Christmas presents for young folk in her life. A lovely time was had by all. Then we got up and left, and went on our way. We went to a few different shops and then headed home.

Well that also turned out to be an interesting trip. First misinformation about bus numbers but correct information on the place to get them. We spoke to a chap at the next section of the railway station, and he told us different numbers, and as he had a sheet with the information on it, because he had just arrived on duty, we trusted it. So another walk to catch a bus in Queen Street, to get to Footscray station. Instead of dropping us at the station it drops us at a busstop in a street and we have to walk yet once more. On the way we get to meet someone who works with my husband. Small world. Then on the bus we met two other people that I knew. 
At Newport the bus stops, and we wait, but then the bus driver tells us to get out, because we are catching a train there. The advantage of going by train a straight route and faster trip home, but we had to walk a little distance again. Thanks goodness.
All in all the thing I was most impressed with was how cheerfully those we met coped with the situation of lots of people and crowds and doing the unusual.