Posts tagged “urban life”

Three recent encounters with strangers: a fun iPod music swap on the tube, getting scammed out of two quid by a convincing con man, and an unexpectedly genuine chat with an unemployed carpenter about the perverse incentives of the benefits system. Two out of three ain't bad.

Woken after 4 hours sleep by neighbour's dogs going berserk at some idiot who kept antagonising them. Foghorns, shouting, chaos. I'm up now, the dogs are still barking at everything, and I finally understand crimes of passion.

Only in London would there be a market for a company that holds your spare keys, because you don't trust your neighbours.

Autumn's here, and I can't decide if the cold weather should make me more or less paranoid about people in heavy coats on the tube. The cover it provides cuts both ways.

London Underground's "Inspector Sands" announcement is a coded message to staff that a fire alarm has been triggered, designed to avoid panicking passengers. Large public venues use similar systems, though the exact meaning varies depending on your source.

London's new Oyster smartcards are finally here, replacing those flimsy paper tickets. Reusable, cancellable if lost, and they work without leaving your wallet. I've been waiting ages for these -- the readers have been sitting there unused for over a year. Inexplicably excited about this. Yes, I'm a geek.