Wednesday 21 April 2010

Everything ran to the timetable, started on time, got off for the meal break on time, picked up the second half on time, finished on time. No incidents, no delays, very boring. Actually most days are like this, normally nothing happens, we do the job we are supposed to. No one notices when the Tube works the way it should, when something goes wrong it gets written up in the Standard and everyone says how crap we are.

Up at 55 Broadway they wring their hands because the media criticise us and the customer satisfaction surveys tell them that the public don’t like us, what they seem to ignore is that the reason no one like us is because we are a monopoly, the vast majority of people don’t have a choice but to use us. Think you can get to work any other way? Other methods of public transport; sure, go to journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk, plot your route and then de-select the tube from the “modes of transport” list, see how long it would take without any delays.

Got a car or a motorbike; okay you could drive, pay the Congestion Charge, now find somewhere near your work where you can park. Got a bike, which it would appear is Boris’s solution to the transport question, I’m afraid until he does something about the rising number of cycling fatalities (most killed by lorries, none by bendy buses) I don’t think that’s such an appealing prospect.

As for his idea for a cycle hire scheme, all that will do is put untrained cyclists on the streets and a further rise in accidents. And the cost to the taxpayer seems to go up every time the damn thing is mentioned. Don’t blame me, I voted for Ken.

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