Strike a Commuter Pose

[commonpeople1]

Tube Strike - DSCN4982 ep2
Originally uploaded by ericparker

I walked home today because of the Tube strikes. In an hour I was at Bethnal Green. Half an hour later I was inside my lift - just half an hour more than my usual bus ride. I just might walk home from now on. London is lovely this time of the year - that mixture of autumn colours from the setting sun but still some enduring summer warmth.

People, though, behaved appallingly today. Drivers nearly knocked over cyclists. Cyclists couldn't give a fuck about pedestrians. Pedestrians screamed at cyclists and jumped in front of moving traffic when it wasn't their turn. Everyone was frenetic to get home. I didn't see the rush. I stopped once to switch from office shoes to trainers then another for some milk and tuc tuc crackers. I got a missed phone call and when I arrived home wink_martindale told me someone related to a job application I'd made recently had rung for me. She sounded nice on the phone, he said, and she would e-mail me.

I took a bath and listened to Hurts' album "Happiness".

Wednesday 28 December 1966
Leonie rang at about six. I'd sent a telegram earlier today. She'd just got in from work. She said that Dad has gone back home. Sleeps in my mother's bed downstairs with the corpse. After his accident he can't piss straight and floods the lavatory with it whenever he goes. She said, 'Well, I'm shocked by our Marilyn, you know.' I said, 'Why, what's she done?' Leonie said, 'Oh, you know, she behaves very ignorantly all round. And when I told her Mum was dead all she said was - "I'm not surprised". Well, you know, what kind of remark is that?' Dougie was upset. Remarkable how those without hearts when young suddenly develop them in later life.

I promised to go home tomorrow. Leonie and George will come round in the evening. As the corpse is downstairs in the main living-room it means going out or watching television with death at one's elbow. My father, fumbling out of bed in the middle of the night, bumped into the coffin and almost had the corpse on the floor.

Peggy said how dreadfully reminiscent of Loot it all was.

From The Orton Diaries, edited by John Lahr

Comments

[norabird.livejournal.com]

the walk sounds lovely.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

The great thing about London is that you can do the same walk every day and always see something new. It helped that I wasn't plugged into any music so could appreciate my surroundings a lot more (and watch out for crazy cyclists).

Snap!

[noondaydemon.livejournal.com]

I just might walk home from now on.

It's funny, but years ago I discovered how nice it was to walk home from work thanks to a transport strike. Really wouldn't have discovered it otherwise!

The traffic was totally mad today, agreed! Red lights ignored, people being panicky and stupid, ridiculous driving maneuvres, WTF???

Re: Snap!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

While I was working at that architecture centre that you visited, I walked home all the time... I loved it! My route was by Regent's Canal and that was one of the main things I knew I would miss when I finally quit.

Yesterday was just ridiculous the way people were behaving. I despair for the human race when I see so much self-absorption and selfishness in action.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medium_/]

"Everyone was frenetic to get home. I didn't see the rush. I stopped once to switch from office shoes to trainers then another for some milk and tuc tuc crackers." rock on!!! :o]

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Rock lock! ;-)

[petercampbell.livejournal.com]

One of my work colleagues was down in London, just in time to encounter the tube strike. There was a queue of 500 people at the train station waiting for taxis, apparently. The mind boggles.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Some people have no choice and I feel sorry for them. But I don't understand the others who could perfectly walk home.