January 10th

 

Walkways spun, silk webs,

Tense, Taut, Astride the platforms,

Mocking train departs.

 

They’ve changed the layout at Farringdon station as part of an ongoing renovation. There’s a dizzying array of exits, stairs, glass tunnels bridges (like the ones hamsters use in their pens) criss crossing the station. I made a bad choice of bridge I think as the stairs at the other end seemed to double back on themselves about four times. It was like an Escher optical illusion, was like I was walking on stairs upside down on the ceiling, then I was the right way up, it was disorienting. Finally I reached the platform I needed and the train was sat there.. I had that moment when you know there is a tiny chance of getting on, as it’s still stationary at the platform, but all the doors are closed… therefore it’s getting ready to drone away… Do you try to hit the door open button? Or not? I didn’t, which was the correct decision as it moved as soon as I got near it, so I didn’t humiliate myself by running full pelt in front of the other commuters waiting for the slow service. However, 10 seconds earlier, or a better choice of bridge… and I’d have made my train. So I got stuck for half an hour waiting for the next one. Signal problems… “First Capital Connect apologises for the delay to your service” SHUT UP!

Bollocks.

Ps – I originally wrote (and published) this – but I don’t like it, not good enough. Keeping it here to show the process of rewrite can mean chucking it in the bin and reworking the concept from scratch! I did retain some of it though.

New walkways gleaming,

Glass hamster tunnel, wrong choice!

Mocking train departs