The Chant of the Barbie Dolls

On a wet windy november morning, when normally I'd be hauling my ass up Crouch Hill on my bike, I ended up public-transporting it to work.

There were massive queues for the bus to Finsbury Park, so I decided to walk to Haringey mainline railway station (there's my first big mistake right there). However crowded the bus stop or the busses might have been, at least they are regular, and eventually the crowd dissipates. Two trains came without so much as room to stuff a small rolled up plastic bag into. Some woman started losing the rag with all the people on the train - she was screaming at people standing to move down the train. To be fair, people not moving down is a pet hate of mine too - right alongside New York taxi drivers that habitually lean on their car horns for very little purpose, reason or effect. If you've ever wondered why people "go postal" in the US so often, it's the leaning on the horns. Oh yeah.

No one was moving down of course, but to be fair, it wouldn't have made a lot of difference. She left in disgust. I thought it was quite amusing - like seeing someone trying to beat back the tide. I left the train station in pursuit of "alternative means of reaching my destination" in a damp, if wistfully philosophical mood, which is about as good as anyone can ask for on a day like that.

I let the 2 trains go like that then decided to walk to Manor House at about 08:30, so I got drenched in the walk up to it past Finsbury Park....

In the train station there was a repeating announcement: "The 08:02 to Moorgate is delayed because of adverse weather conditions". It was raining. Since when is "rain" adverse weather?

They seem to like playing a little game. At 08:10 they said "The 08:02 will be approximately 15 minutes late". Then at 08:17 an automated announcement said "The 08:02 will be approximately 18 minutes late". Then at 08:20 is said "The 08:02 will be approximately 20 minutes late". I thought maybe there was some mathematical significance to the asymptotic nature of the estimated times of arrival of the train. I began to feel quite excited by the impending proximity of the 08:02, driven, apparently, by Zeno of ancient Grecian paradox fame.

I went to the ticket office to see if I could get my oyster card unresolved journey, un-unresolved. A guy in the queue ahead of me asked the guy at the counter, "Is there some problem with the trains?".

"Yeah", I said, "40 yeas of chronic under funding and systemic withholding of infrastructure investment".

To top it all off, I'm sitting at work in my runners - I forgot to bring my shoes. That's what happens when you mess with your routine.