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mandragorahow a mere smattering of snow brings one of the world's major cities to its knees.
Yes, we have snow. But, it's only a couple of centimetres deep, not even an inch. However this has resulted in total gridlock on the roads and no public transport, for me at least.
The gridlock is as a result of the idiots in charge of maintaining the roads deciding that as the weather forecast was that the weather would warm up slightly (from minus 6C) they didn't need to order the gritting lorries to go out last night. Um, yeah. Great idea, chaps.
As for public transport, well there are 2 ways I can (normally) get to the office. Either by train, or by tube. Neither are working. In the case of the tube, it's due to a fire alert resulting in the total suspension of the Piccadilly Line. However, even if it was working I would then face severe disruption when I changing to the Northern Line. Sigh.
As for the trains... ::Snort:: Figured they wouldn't be running, bearing in mind that the falling of a few autumn leaves results in severe disruption to the service. And I was right. There are no trains.
Yes, we have snow. But, it's only a couple of centimetres deep, not even an inch. However this has resulted in total gridlock on the roads and no public transport, for me at least.
The gridlock is as a result of the idiots in charge of maintaining the roads deciding that as the weather forecast was that the weather would warm up slightly (from minus 6C) they didn't need to order the gritting lorries to go out last night. Um, yeah. Great idea, chaps.
As for public transport, well there are 2 ways I can (normally) get to the office. Either by train, or by tube. Neither are working. In the case of the tube, it's due to a fire alert resulting in the total suspension of the Piccadilly Line. However, even if it was working I would then face severe disruption when I changing to the Northern Line. Sigh.
As for the trains... ::Snort:: Figured they wouldn't be running, bearing in mind that the falling of a few autumn leaves results in severe disruption to the service. And I was right. There are no trains.
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no subject
Date: 31 January 2003 02:20 (UTC)It's unbelievable that the major west to east tube line through central London will be out of action for 3 whole weeks.
I know that public transport was starved of funding for decades, but wasn't the present Government meant to be doing something about it? On the basis that it's false economy not spending money on it, because that leads to a consequent loss of worker-hours (which is bad for the economy overall)?
Couldn't we put those billions of pounds that we're going to spend on war with Iraq to better use? Like giving us a public transport system that actually works?
Sigh.
no subject
Date: 31 January 2003 02:28 (UTC)The trains they bought to replace the old, smelly and dirty ones, while flashy, are cheap knockoffs financed by who-knows-what shady deal. The first thing we noticed was that they wore the tracks out (I kid you not) and now it turns out they've a major safety defect.
I did wonder how this all happened, but then I work for a large bureaucracy, and I know how decisions get made.
Spending money, yes
Date: 31 January 2003 02:34 (UTC)When I travel on the underground in places like Paris and Hong Kong, even New York nowadays, I just want to weep. How could we get it so wrong?
Yes, we've got the oldest underground in the world, but even so there is so much that could be done to improve it that just isn't.
Saw your post about having to lug around court files. Ouch!