Greaaaaaat! Back to commuting to
work now, until the office moves to
Waterloo and I can get back on my
bike. I'd all but blocked the dark
memories of when I first arrived in
the UK and had to take the tube
every day during rush hour.
Today I started off on my new
adventures. I turned on the mp3's
and passing Subway I thought I'd
take advantage of their breakfast
deal to cheer me up, which resulted
in a mark on my shirt, bugger. Oh
well, off to get the train,
shiiiiiiit look at that platform!!!
There's gotta be a few hundred
people lining it. Timed it perfectly
for the train to pull up though, ok
everybody HEAVE, phew, just managed
to squeeze onto the train. Ahh the
familiar feeling of a purse stuck
into the small of my back and
someone's hairy arm 2 inches from my
face, the memories are flooding back
now. Thank goodness the trains
air-con hasn't broken down and is
cranking out cool air onto me. It
still amuses me just how quiet a
totally packed carriage can be.
Everyone fixing their eyes on a
section of the wall with the guys
subtly checking out the talent
around them... Sectaries in tight
tops and short skirts make the trip
slightly more bearable (sorry
ladies, but it's true for all guys,
except the gays I guess).
Only a short delay along the way and
I hit Waterloo, a flood of people
off the train and the quick-walk-hup-two
towards the gate, squeeze through
and flop out into the main station
with a swirling mass of people going
in all directions. My auto-pilot
kicks in, trained over the years of
getting through London crowds
whereby you stare at your
destination and let your peripheral
vision take over to dodge oncoming
people. No tourists around this time
of the day, just a few annoying
smokers blowing craap into the air
to get in my way. A couple of side
steps and quick twists later and I'm
across the concourse...
I know Starbucks is just down the
stairs, looking forward to a Vanilla
Latte to get my day really going.
BUGGER there's a queue and I can't
be arsed waiting. Oh well, down into
the tube instead. As I nip down the
escalator and around onto the
platform my personal joke is to
laugh at the people standing in
front of the Jubilee line doors that
don't open (ignoring the red signs
telling them that) I call it spot
the dumbass but there is no-one
doing that today. Everyone down
there knows that little gotcha at
this time of the morning. Another
squeeze onto the tube carriage into
the familiar 30 degree heat of
warmed up body odour prompts me to
ask the idiot by the window if it
would be OK if I could lower it (man
people are totally blind to what's
going on around them, why not let
some air into the carriage for all
the other cattle?!). I've worked out
long ago the the best spot is in the
front of the carriage so at least
you get a breeze coming through so
you can still breath.
2 quick stops and bam, off the tube
following the rest of the sheep. Up
the left hand side of the escalator;
DAMN, someone's paused at the top
who can't simply walk off and that's
started a pile up of people on the
left - grr, through the barrier and
what's that I see, a METRO! Sweet,
my day just got better. I grab one
and head off to catch a train
looking at the headline "Vietnam
drug 'is the new ecstasy'" Hmm,
should make an interesting read. OH
SHIIT bugger, I need platforms 1-6
and I'm heading to the other end of
the station towards platform 20.
Bah, spin around on my way, ohhhh!!
Train due NOW, run and.....
FFFUUUUCCCCKKKK!!!! Doors close in
front of me. 15 mins till the next
train GAH! Nice one, Baker. Oh well,
at least I have my metro to read.
Hmm, ecstasy is apparently going for
only 50p a pill in the UK at the
moment! Holy craap. This Vietnam
drug is called K and is going for £2
a pop. Oh well each to their own.
More people die of alcohol I guess.
Great another smoker lights up next
to me... speaking of drugs.
Finally, here comes the train,
almost no-one on it as I'm heading
back out of central London. Feet up
on the seat even though I know I
shouldn't and I can get stuck into
the rest of the Metro and crank up
my sounds until finally, 1.5 hours
later I'm at work, I'm sure I knock
30 mins off... Now, time to surf the
web :-)
