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The Joys of Tube Strikes

30th Apr 2014
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While most people are cursing the pains and indignities that have resulted from yet another industrial dispute in London, there are some real upsides for those willing to look for them.

Yesterday, the average London accountant was probably roundly cursing the late Bob Crow, while some might have been sharing their pins between voodoo dolls representing not only the trade union leader but also flamboyant Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Between them, the pair have once again this week reduced London transport to a pale imitation of its normal self for 2½ days with more to come.

The cause of the dispute is yet more mechanisation of jobs formerly carried out by human beings. Ticket offices at all underground stations are to close forever to be replaced by staff milling around on platforms etc. Whatever Mr Johnson and his associates in London Underground might care to claim, this must surely be a cost-saving measure rather than anything else.

It mirrors changes in supermarkets where checkouts are increasingly automated apparently leading to additional shoplifting, which is the seemingly an acceptable downside to balance against savings in employment costs, while local libraries in London use complicated machinery to replace highly trained and very friendly members of staff.

The accounting equivalent might either be fully computerised audit and tax advice, which could be just around the corner leaving us all unemployed or, perhaps more realistically, the shipping of much low-grade work such as simple accounting and completion of basic tax returns to barely trained but ever so cheap staff in India or China.

This article has not been written to consider the merits of strike action or mechanisation, although they might both be interesting topic for future columns.

Contrarily those who believe in half full glasses might think that there has been quite a lot of good resulting from these strike days.

They are undoubtedly a pain for Londoners but probably cheer up our country cousins who had smooth journey is to and from work yesterday and had the opportunity to chuckle over the difficulties faced by those in the capital.

Closer to home, that mythical Dunkirk spirit reared its pretty head yesterday as people were thrown closely together on buses, the few remaining tube trains. Suddenly, caring and sharing for their fellow man and woman came back into fashion, at least briefly. People were talking to each other, smiling generously at strangers and even giving up their seats to others who weren't even wearing those very fashionable Baby on Board badges.

Additionally, because of the low expectations, a couple of colleagues claimed that they had enjoyed their best ever journeys to work getting seats on tube trains that arrived immediately.

Others were not as lucky. However, spending over an hour on a bus rather than enjoying a 10 minute walk plus 10 minutes on the tube had some benefits.

This was an opportunity to catch up on the reading (thanks very much to Slipknot08 for his/her suggestion that I try Neal Stephenson's monumental novels - Quicksilver is gripping!). In addition, I am far better versed in Vivaldi's Four Seasons, not to mention violin and cello concertos than I was 24 hours ago.

The highlight of the day though turned out to be the 3½ mile journey home. Having got a little frustrated about spending over an hour travelling a relatively short distance, and wearing some pretty snazzy (to quote a colleague) walking shoes, this was the perfect opportunity to take the plunge and try a march home.

That journey took quarter of an hour less than doing exactly the same distance on the bus and in pleasantly temperate sunshine, was genuinely enjoyable. It should also have been good for the heart, lungs and probably various other organs.

I am therefore offering prayers to the late Bob Crow and thanks to Boris Johnson who between them made me late home but at least might have extended my life briefly and made for an entertaining day.

In this century of sedentary existence, perhaps we should all make an effort to walk a few miles every now and then for the mental and physical benefits that will undoubtedly accrue?

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By jimmercy
30th Apr 2014 12:52

I never understand

those people who wait 1/2 hour for a bus for a journey that might take around that if they walk (elderly, infirm and disabled excluded of course)

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