I'd be interested to hear the impressions of people who were in London today. I'll give you mine.
Heading in to central London today my train stopped at Plaistow, one stop from were i joined it. We'd stopped for five minutes or so ( not an unusual occurence with London underground ), when the guard announced that there had been an explosion at Liverpool Street and that we should take alternative transport. I was struck by the purposefulness of everyone as they left the train, exited the station and headed towards the nearest terminus, Stratford. Jumping on the bus outside people seemed really focused on getting to work as though they were pre- programmed. The bus was unusualy quiet people shouted out news and rumour but the reaction was muted. THere didnt seem to be the concern that usually acompanies the normal stuck in a tunnel for five minutes, Id better speak to someone type situ. It was a slightly different story once we reached Stratford. Reporters with Cameras facing the 12 metre tall effigy of an olympic athlete looked worried, with ears stuck to their phones. The announcement that we were all being watched 24/7 by cctv cameras seemed to be repeated like a mantra, and EVERYONE was on the phone. Returning home this evening I was struck initialy by the lack of people on the street but I also saw people speaking to each other that really made me look twice.
I live in one of the most diverse areas in the country, should be a multicultural dreamland - but it is not . People live beside each other in a spirit of toleration. The diversity of nationality, religion and class criss cross and seperate to such a degree that toleration becomes the byword. However today I saw people speakin to each other, listened and spoke to those who would normaly be - head down, gettin on with their stuff.....and it made me think that ............I aint seeing terror.
Heading in to central London today my train stopped at Plaistow, one stop from were i joined it. We'd stopped for five minutes or so ( not an unusual occurence with London underground ), when the guard announced that there had been an explosion at Liverpool Street and that we should take alternative transport. I was struck by the purposefulness of everyone as they left the train, exited the station and headed towards the nearest terminus, Stratford. Jumping on the bus outside people seemed really focused on getting to work as though they were pre- programmed. The bus was unusualy quiet people shouted out news and rumour but the reaction was muted. THere didnt seem to be the concern that usually acompanies the normal stuck in a tunnel for five minutes, Id better speak to someone type situ. It was a slightly different story once we reached Stratford. Reporters with Cameras facing the 12 metre tall effigy of an olympic athlete looked worried, with ears stuck to their phones. The announcement that we were all being watched 24/7 by cctv cameras seemed to be repeated like a mantra, and EVERYONE was on the phone. Returning home this evening I was struck initialy by the lack of people on the street but I also saw people speaking to each other that really made me look twice.
I live in one of the most diverse areas in the country, should be a multicultural dreamland - but it is not . People live beside each other in a spirit of toleration. The diversity of nationality, religion and class criss cross and seperate to such a degree that toleration becomes the byword. However today I saw people speakin to each other, listened and spoke to those who would normaly be - head down, gettin on with their stuff.....and it made me think that ............I aint seeing terror.
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