I haven’t written as there hasn’t been much to write about, August Bank Holiday and the Notting Hill Carnival seemed very subdued compared to previous years which I guess is due to London having too much to do this year. The opening of the Paralympics means we’re back on the expanded timetable and as with the Olympics the post-1am trains are virtually deserted. Going from WER to EPP last night I’d only picked up three passengers by the time I reached MAA, there were only a dozen or half dozen at each station between there and HOL. I didn’t pick up very many more until I reached STR and the platforms were far from crowded even there.

The special timetable does appear to be causing some confusion amongst the staff, last night two of us turned up to take over the same train and we had to call the DTSM to find out which of us had got it wrong. Later there was a call asking us to do a PA enquiring if the TOp doing 723 duty was on board and if so could they please get off the train and call Wood Lane asap; one of our TOps is missing. Finally when I got off my second half this morning there was more confusion as to who was meant to be taking me off, not something you want when your bus is due to leave in 5 minutes and your duvet is calling you.

One non-train related matter is the ridiculous irony of ATOS sponsoring the Paralympics. If you don’t know ATOS is a French-based outsourcing specialist who are currently doing a wonderful job telling disabled people they’re fit to work and kicking them off benefits. The complaints against ATOS are well documented, just Google if you want more info but as the ex-Mrs shrugged is on disability allowance it is likely that at some point I’m going to have to push her wheelchair to an assessment. I just hope that wherever they send her is wheelchair-accessible, or to use her term “Crip-friendly”, as according to an investigation by the House of Commons Work and Pensions committee in May 2011 29 out of the 55 ATOS offices aren’t.