Do the STOMP!

PAUL:
Well, knackered doesn't quite cut it! The snow started Tuesday night so I knew it was gonna be tough come Wed morning. Sof has already displayed a complete reluctance to get behind the wheel when there are flakes in the air. As a result I had a choice, take the car (2 wheel drive) out in extremely deep snow or brave the walk. I chose to walk and will not make that call again in a hurry.

The metro is about 1.5 miles from our house and not being too sure about the buses in the area I figured on about 35 mins to make it to the train. Unfortunately to keep the trousers from getting totally wet I put on the super boots (around 1kg per foot) The snow was about 4-5 inches deep and the bloomin American refuse to clear anything that a non motorised vehicle needs to travel on. Seriously 1.5 miles having to lift each foot 10 cms off the ground to make each step will kill even the most hardened lazy bugger. I can confirm that I fit that bill.

1hour and 15 mins later I arrived a sweaty mass at the metro to find that a metro train had broken down blocking the line I needed. 20 mins after that they had cleared the line but the platform was heaving. Having managed to sardine myself in to the carriage we travelled two more stations down the line with yet more people somehow pushing themselves on to the train (they need those Beijing guys with White gloves who shoehorn the commuters on to the metros here). The next stop was my next Nemesis. Trying to close the doors on a clearly overcrowded train failed. The driver kept on telling us to let the doors close but to no avail. At this point he shut the train down and told everyone to get off. That would have been fine but he shut the door and bloody well drove off leaving one full trains worth and about half a trains worth who were on the platform already looking on incredulous...BASTARDO! The next half an hour was spent trying to shuffle on to one of the following trains that were also packed, blimey it was fun.

I have thus learnt that in similar cases I shall hide under a seat until the driver shuts the door and gets the funk out of there.

Very kindly a colleague gave me a lift home so was saved the ordeal in reverse. So 4 days in office and one catastrophic trip has occurred. hope that I can improve my 25% record over the coming weeks. Still of to the embassy tomorrow so additional metro journeys required. Be sure to watch this space if the experience is repeated.

SNOW HUMPH! more coming this weekend too!