10 minutes

[same_difference]

As far as I understand that's how far behind the train my sister was on from one of the ones that was blown up. She was running late this morning, so if circumstances were different she'd could have been caught in the explosion. That's very weird knowledge to have, and it's easy to see the undertone it's had on the way my family has behaved today. My real concern now is that my sister got back home okay. Times like this I wish she didn't have to work in London or at least was closer than Cambridge. My thoughts go out to all those people who were less fortunate today.

To think I went on the underground for the first time yesterday on my way back home from Switzerland, didn't go through any of the affected stations though.

The reaction, or non-reaction really, of people doesn't suprise me too much. As a country we've lived with the threat of terrorist bombing for over 30 years, I can remember hearing about the canary warf bomb as a child (I think) and the manchester one a few years ago, in some ways terrorist bombs exploding in this country is just one of the background things people have got use to. At least it wasn't a chemical or biological attack.

To me it seems they were more interesting in disruption and spreading terror than the actual kill count considering how many people were crowded in London in the last few days for Live 8 and the Olympics announcement. I don't think winning the olympic bid is a good thing, my sister (prosepina) has a very good summary why in her LJ.

I have so much I want to post about, much from the time when exams and dissertations consumed my life, I shall get it all up soon, but today is not an appropriate day to do so.

Degree results tomorrow from 3pmish, I'm not thinking about it, not that hard to do at the moment.

Comments

[drabbit.livejournal.com]

Very good locked summary?

[same-difference.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes your right. Taken from the comments (I'm sure she won't mind):

Quote

Everyone is mad.

The dome - cost Londoners a fortune, was overspent on, was used for about five minutes and rots quitely as a great round white elephant in a bit of town easily ignored. Paid for by taxpayers and one presumes, it's construction added to the ever rising council tax costs.

The Jubilee line extension - over spent something like 14 million in the end I seem to remember. Overspent! That's on top of the millions they poured into it in the first place. And again...Paid for by taxpayers and one presumes, added to the ever rising council tax costs.

The supposed increase work in building - we presume croney-ism in whoever gets the contracts, that's standard right?

We also presume the 'improved transport structure' will mean a huge hike in travel costs on trains whilst they find cash for it?

We presume increased service industry work to the area will be for the brief duration of the games? It doesn't take *that* many people to staff a swimming pool.

Service industry is today's working class job, badly paid, poor security, no benefits. So all I see is a gulf where Londoners in employment will pay this out of their taxes, commuters will pay it out of their travel costs and your average east ender will find himself in an area of London he can probably no longer afford to inhabit, doing a service industry job that just doesn't cover it.

I was told Athens is now in an irrecoverable state of debt due to the costs they incurred (to the tune of several 00 million), and what alot of empty seats there were in those stadiums...

Any day soon I'm running for the hills I tell you.