Phil Mercer

Monday, February 25, 2008

Splat!

 

I had a great weekend. After an eleven day stint of work (I'm not complaining... I seriously needed that work!) it was finally a day off. So I popped in to London to meet up with a friend who has purchased himself (and his partner) a lovely flat in the heart of Zone 1 and drink plenty of wine.

That we did. On the way home from his local hostalry at about 1am, we were accosted by a one legged drunk on crutches, begging for some cash so he could keep up his drinking. He was pretty foul mouthed and smelling, so as he lunged for us, missed and fell over... it was hard for my mate and I to take it seriously. So we walked on. Leaving him on the floor.

I'm not proud of that really, but it was very hard to tell what might have happened had he managed to stay on his feet. Or if we had tried to help him up!

I don't beleive in Karma, but if it does exist. It took roughly twelve hours to get its own back.

After a bit of work and a trip round the National Portrait Gallery I made my way to Paddington for the 50 minute trip home. When I arrived there were hundreds of people staring blanking at the laser display boards, which mostly flashed "CANCELLED" down at them. This is never a good sign!

True enough, it turned out someone had ended up getting hit by a train. At that point it seemed like a suicide, but later I heard gossip about whoever it was getting pushed. The result was no trains leaving Paddington for the forseable future. So I took the only alternative, back on the tube and accross to Waterloo to get the Reading service and pick up my normal train from there.

It took me four hours in the end! Is that bad karma?

Assuming it was a suicide, then once again it reminds me what a selfish action it is to take. You have to have a complete disregard for anyone around you. I know thats a sweeping statement, so i'll leave it at that!

I do think that the police and those investigating these incidents need to come up with a better system. It seems that their only priority is to find out as much about what happened as they can, no matter how long that may take. Personally I feel the priority should be on clearing the way for the many thousands of people affected by it, so that life can get on. It's the same with motorway accidents and the like.

We have chosen to create a society that is all about getting from A to B as efficiently as possible. If we want that to continue, then the priority should be to clear the way quickly. I'm not saying don't investigate... but balance the cost of an insurance claim or court case against the cost of holding up an entire afternoons use of the Great West railway and the many thousands of lives that get displaced as a result.

I have a feeling it is another knock on effect from our paper work obsessed, litigious society. Let's have a bit of common sense and a respect for all, including the ones stuck on the train!

I'm getting off my soap box now!

Labels: delays, rant, soap box, suicide, trains

# posted by Phil @ 9:57 pm

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