I'm somewhat in rant mode. I had a perfectly lovely evening out yesterday and to my relief and delight, the transport to and home was swift and undelayed.
But I have a major gripe. Blockers.
I fully understand that there are people who, due to restricted mobility, or encumbered with buggies, luggage or shopping can't always progress as fast as me, and that's fine.
I caught the bus on Millbank outside Parliament. As it was full downstairs, I managed to squeeze past the standing hordes and follow another woman up the stairs. She reached the top of the stairs, and just stood there. And stood there. And stood there. I asked if there were any seats spare upstairs. Yes she said, and heaved her enormous bulk up to the top deck and let me past, obviosuly surprised that anyone would rather sit on a single seat upstairs than stand on the stairs, just because she obviously needed a double seat!
At Covent Garden, I had the misfortune to follow a 'family' into the station. Mother father and 7-year old daughter. I'm not aggressive or a bully, and certainly understand it's horrible for small children to be crushed in such a space, so I didn't shove my way past them. But there was no one going through the ticket barriers as this couple stood admiring the view and the child just stopped to read her Lion King programme, perhaps too young to understand she was blocking the way, but too young to be allowed inot a Tube station reading without her parents supervising her. I squeezed cautiously in between them and the father glared at me, as he continued to stand aimlessly by the ticket barrier.
Into the lift, which has plenty of room. I am glared at by a chap who has seemingly left this space in order to be near the exit of the lift. Clearly ignorant about the lifts at Covent Garden, he was actually facing the back entrance, oblivious to everyone else facing forward to the exit, and was positioned to be last out. And he had the nerve to glare at me, just because I think as many people as possible should get into each lift at busy times such as this, especially when there's a reduced lift service!
Down the stairs into the platform, oh, but I have to stop because two frumpy middle-aged women have decided to stop there and wait for their friends. It didn't seem to occur to them that roughly half the people pouring down the stairs might want the SouthWest bound platform. I muttered 'Stupid place to stand' and pushed past them, to sour looks at my rudeness...like I care!
The train comes into the station. I'm right at the end of the platform, where the nearly empty front carriage stops. Nearly empty but for two twenty-something men who decide they just want to hang out of the door to take a look at the platform, oblivious of me waiting patiently to board, not having the basic intelligence/decency to move a little, to let me on.
Change at Green Park to the Victoria Line. The seats of the carriage I choose are only half full, the way to them blocked by dithery middle-aged blokes who, having got as far as Green Park, are anxious they might not get out at Victoria, and ignorant that the train goes to Brixton and so might some of the passengers. I should not have to push my way round people blocking the aisle to reach one of many empty seats. They did get off at Victoria, at the end of a once-a-year trip to London where the locals are savage and expect to be able to sit down on seats
Stockwell, where I change to the Northern Line. The train seems absolutely packed, people hanging out the doors. Until I look more closely, acres of standing room between the seats and the young trendy posh stupid Claphamers unable to move down. I overhear four of them, they really are nervous at missing their stop. They're not even sure what is their stop. Maybe the next one. Oh, wait, no, the one after. Oh we'd better stand right next to the door so we can get out. They were getting out at Clapham Common, FFS, where a lot of people get out. Sometimes half the carriage! And when they do get off (having realised they've been hugging the wrong door!), they just stand on the platform preventing anyone else from getting off.
I fully accept that I have a bit of a bad attitude in that I'm an experienced traveller on London Underground. I'm prepared to stand if needs be, I'm prepared to wait for the next lift or train if absolutely necessary. But I'm simply not prepared to be inconvenienced solely because of the selfish stupidity of people who think a bit too highly of themselves and don't see the need to consider others' needs in an overcrowded city with ramshackle infrastructure. It's not actually that difficult, if you use your eyes, watch what the majority of other people are doing, understand that people might want to get onto the platform, or the train, or into a seat.
Rant over!
