Butterfly mud

A first today. Every Monday and Friday when there’s no strike on the underground, I take two tube trains. From Waterloo to Embankment (1 stop) and Embankment to South Kensington (5 stops). It takes me around 20 minutes which includes the walking between lines as well. I am so used to it, I even know where to stand in order to be by a door when the train stops. Though this didn’t help me today!

I was standing at Waterloo, waiting for the Northern Line train, reading Ancient Rome by Simon Baker as I finished Garp last night, figuring I must have just missed a train because there were so few people around. I nonchalantly glanced at the indicator but my eyes bounced back instantly. It said 3 minutes! The next train would be in 3 minutes!! My God! What was this? I rarely wait longer than a minute. And now 3?

I was not impressed with this. I read and frowned as the platform filled up with eager commuters. All of us stood obediently behind the yellow line as the woman on the platform kept telling us through her portable microphone announcing thingy. I felt the forward rush of air through the tunnel as the train approached. It’s always amazing how windy it gets but never very cool. Anyway, the train burst into the platform.

As the carriages slowed down and I could see the windows, I was aware of the squashed flesh against the glass, faces flattened, feet in unnatural locations. Oh, the humanity! It was awful. Had something awful happened between Kennington and Waterloo? Some sort of terrorist outrage? Had someone butchered an entire train and left the bodies in all manner of strange positions?

The train stopped and I was surprised at the lack of screams as the doors opened.

“Please let the passengers off the train before you board!” said the woman into her microphone thingy, just like she does every day.

No-one actually got off…and no-one actually boarded. It was very, very full. I’m surprised the doors closed again. I’m also surprised the little engine could haul that much humanity. But haul it did, leaving a platform full of passengers aghast and annoyed. Actually, more annoyed than aghast. I think I was the only one who was aghast; having never seen this before outside of those videos they show of the guys in Tokyo using big sticks to push people onto the trains.

I really hoped I’d not have to wait another 3 minutes. I braved a look back at the indicator board, this time having to dodge around heads. And then I felt the oncoming wind of the next train. Bargain! Less than a minute. I watched as the virtually empty tube train slowed to a stop in front of me. It quickly filled up but I was on and not squashed. Ha!

Now, I’m sure this happens to people all the time (actually Barbara at work said that her train was a disaster this morning as it stopped at Warren Street station because of a signal problem but no-one could go anywhere because Warren Street station is closed because of a non-working escalator) but it has never happened to me…until today. It’s not the ideal way to start your day. But still.

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The Natural History Museum (which is sort of next door to the Science Museum) has removed the temporary butterfly house from outside. Where it once sat is now a sea of mud. I assume they are readying it for the ice rink.

Natural History Museum, London