The Trials of Walking to Work

So, here we are, at the end of my first half term holiday. I have decided that half term is one of the greatest things ever. 

The school I work at is only a 35 minute walk away (30 minute brisk walk if I decided that I couldn't live without an extra 5 in bed)  and so I've set myself the challenge of walking to and from school four out of the five days I'm there. When I tell people this they sound amazed but I'm sure the tube/bus would take longer and so by walking I'm actually taking the lazier option that means I get to spend more time asleep.This walking commute has revealed to me a number of things, one of which is the lack of trust I have in my fellow Londoners:

I do not trust cyclists – they seem to think that they are above the Highway Code and so stopping at red lights are optional, even when they’re going at a million miles an hour and there are pedestrians (who have patiently waited for the green man) trying to cross the road. Suffice to say I have become an expert in diving out of the way of said cyclists while giving them a Death Stare that I hope conveys some of the contempt I have for them – in a loving Jesus way of course.

I do not trust motorbikes - you never know if it’s safe to cross or if they’ll nip round from behind a lorry and run you over.

I do not trust cars - when so many roads meet at a junction its impossible to watch every car to see if it’s likely to run straight toward you.

I do not trust pedestrian crossings - with traffic coming from 5 different directions how do I know that its got it right?

I do not trust that the guy reading a book as he walks down the road (just like Belle from Beauty and the Beast) will not walk into me.

All in all, if you aim to reach work without being run over there are many things to avoid and look out for (but don't worry mum, just in case I do get run over I make sure that my underwear matches). And so ultimately  I don't trust my own judgements when it comes to crossing roads. It's a miracle that I don't spend the whole day walking round and round the block.

Commuters & Food

So it’s been a few weeks now (five to be exact) since I started working for Foodbank.

Five weeks since I started spending almost two hours of my day observing the behaviour of that strange species of the workforce known as ‘Commuters.’

And this is what I have learned:

• A packed train is a totally acceptable place to apply a full face and neck(!) of make-up.
• A packed train is the perfect place to have an argument with your boyfriend (who just started working at the River Cafe - the same place as you) about waiting for the train on the wrong platform (which apparently was so typical of him because he did the same thing a couple of weeks ago when they went to visit her mum. Not that I was shamelessly eavesdropping on their conversation or anything).
• A packed train is the perfect place to catch up on some sleep, even if you’re standing.
• It is a commonly held belief (and practice) that pushing the button to open the train door before the train has completely come to a stop opens the door faster.
• Looking tired and miserable is the only acceptable way to travel on trains.
• You have elbows for a reason – use them or lose them.
• There is no place for weakness in the Commuter’s territory – very young, very old, or just slow – they will not hesitate to walk all over you like they didn't even see you.

As you can see – it’s been educational.

But I’ve also learned about food. In particular, having no food.

People in England really do go hungry. People really do have no money for food.

I mean I knew this when I signed up to Foodbank but now I’ve actually seen it.

The first couple of weeks I spent most of my time visiting the London Foodbanks (we have 15 open at the moment and another 12 due to open soon). I saw how the Foodbanks operate and got to meet some of the volunteers and clients.

The first client I met was a guy who was probably in his early thirties. He’d been brought to the Foodbank by a couple of plain clothed policemen. He was pretty emotional. Turns out he’d been caught shoplifting bread and eggs earlier that day. His benefit had stopped 23 days ago and since then he hadn’t received any income. He said that once his food had run out he had to beg. He said hadn’t eaten for four days. Four days. And he’d gotten so hungry that stealing seemed to be his only option. He said he’d been off drugs and alcohol for six years and this was the first time he’d been in trouble with the police since then, he was really upset about this. He started to cry when we gave him some food. He was so thankful.

BOOM

That was when I realised. People really do go hungry. People really do have no food. In England.

That was when I realised what Foodbank was about and why it’s needed. Since that first week I've met a whole range of clients who for some reason, have no food or the means of getting any. 

This not something I expect to see in England.

So yeah, an educational few weeks to be sure.