Not not me, but maybe it's just the life here. Samuel Johnson lived in an age when the traffic moved faster than it does today, and, I suspect, when aggression was reserved for resolving disputes by means of duels on London commons. I was on a bus the other day when two people got on and it was clear from the very start that neither they, nor the driver, had any time to be nice to each other. The conversation (concering whether the bus was going where they wanted to go) started off where it finished - with both parties growling. On the same journey, a young couple were talking earnestly about putting a brick through somebody's window.
I'm getting soft in my age, but the ads on the tubes advertising some pick-me-up drink for fatigued people definitely resonate. People appear to be flat out all the time and the creaking London transport system doesn't help. (One site I visited claims 'If you add up the time lost in London's traffic chaos, it would be equivalent to seven people's entire working lives every day'.) Great place to visit and I want to live here again sometime in the future, but not now.
By the way, do a search on Google for 'Tired of London' and you certainly get an interesting bunch of links.
Posted by Joe at October 31, 2003 01:52 AMI've always loved London. Of course, I've only been there in the summer (I've even got sunburn there), and never had to spend a lot of time commuting. And I've always been with wonderful friends.
Posted by: DJ at October 31, 2003 04:59 AMIt's definitely friends and family that make the city what it is for me. They are also the main reason I want to live here again, but try and move around the place and the frustrations can be limitless.
Posted by: Joe at October 31, 2003 10:15 AMJoe,
Every major city is being choked by grid lock. Municipal governments have no vision to improve public transportation, oil and gas are still cheap and everyone wants their own suv.
Try driving across the top of Toronto in rush hour or you can check out their traffic web cams, as I do periodically when I start getting frustrated with Japanese traffic.
It's going to take a huge crisis before anything is done.
Wish I was there to enjoy a pint and watch some soccer with you.
Certainly no political party in the UK will take the issue of transport seriously for the simple reason that here people won't vote for any party that threatens (or limits) the use of their cars. In other words, the people are happy to put up with going everywhere slowly as long as they can do it from the comfort of their car when they want to. Personal freedom for you.
Watched Beckham play for Real Madrid on TV today. The home (Madrid) crowd gave him a VERY warm send-off when he was substituted with 3 minutes remaining. The Guinness is good here! ;+)
Posted by: Joe at November 2, 2003 12:43 AMMaybe they were happy to see him go ... ?
Posted by: DJ at November 3, 2003 12:26 AMNah! They're not so subtle in soccer. If they don't like you they just boo!
Posted by: Joe at November 3, 2003 12:50 PM