Welcome to the fun, "irreverent & informative", award-winning London Underground - Tube Blog.
Click here for other London Underground guidance. Contact me here

Going Underground's Blog
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Annie Mole's, daily web log (blog) & “guide” to the London Underground
If you like this you'll LURVE One Stop Short of Barking, the fun and informative book about travelling
on the London Underground.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

What do station assistants do when they're bored?

Write poetry apparently

There's a lot of people who work on the Tube who look as though they're doing nothing. You might see guys and gals standing by the escalators making sure people don't get their feet chopped off or heels stuck. Or you'll give a cursory glance to those standing by the ticket barriers making sure the tickets go through or stopping fare dodgers or "double bunkers" or "slipstreamers" (I don't know what the real word for this is, but you know people who press up close behind you and try to get through the barrier on your fare). You might think "Jeesus what a dull job what must be going through their minds every day", well more than you might think.

Chris Gyrce, who works on the Misery Line (Northern Line) as a station assistant on escalator duty and "gateline" (official term for barrier duty - you learn something new every day) and carries a notebook with him - not for spotting odd or illegal behaviour or reporting defunct escalators, but to write poetry.

Chris said: "Prior to working at an open air station I used to be based at dusty, dirty, Camden Town. The poems that I'm submitting were written during moments of boredom while on gateline and escalator duty at Old Street/Camden Town (part of the Camden Town group)"

So with Chris's permission I've published one here:

AT THE GATELINE

Boredom and monotony are my
Well acquainted friends,
As I at the Gateline passenger tickets "mend".

Customers generally are honest and polite,
While I upon their tickets alight,
May I see your ticket, Madam/Sir,
As those gates "hum and whirr"

Father and daughter slipstream
Through the gates together,
Dad, can I see your ticket now or never.....
He hurls obsenities at me,
The worst of humankind maybe.....?

Some passengers gingerly place their tickets in the slot,
Fearful that the gate machine may "gobble" the lot,
Others are in such a hurry,
That their ticket "shivers" from the worry!!

Love in the ticket hall area,
Young couples, giggle, embrace and kiss,
A sight bored eyes do not miss.

I come across this brown-haired young lady,
With a query,
And I but weary,
Notice the multiple silver rings on her finger,
Can I see those rings I enquire?
A gradual smile belies her initial ire.

Perhaps we'll find the next Pam Ayres on the Tube.

; Posted by annie mole Thursday, January 27, 2005 Permalink COMMENT HERE
http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2005/01/what-do-station-assistants-do-when.html
NEWER POSTS ........ OLDER POSTS

"The magic, mystery & sometimes maddening shortcomings
of London's Tube are documented with love,
enthusiasm & sometimes despair by its unofficial social historian."
The Guardian

"On some mornings it can feel like the only reason to be grateful that the Tube exists"
Time Out

"a big hit on the Web...one of London's obsessives"
Metro

"an irreverent and informative
must-read for everybody, not just subterranean commuters"
The Times

"More trivia than hard corporate news, but often amusing."
The Times 50 Best Business Blogs

"Great stories, always well written with loads of fascinating trivia & tidbits.
One of the few London blogs I try to read on a daily basis."
Qype

One of Time Out's 50 Best London Websites

Finalist in 2007 Bloggies
Finalist - Best British or Irish
Blog - Weblog Awards 2007

Don't blame me, I didn't vote Boris Johnson - T shirts, pants & mugs

Annie Mole

Create your badge

Follow anniemole at http://twitter.com/anniemole

WINNER
Winner of World's Hottest Urban Blogger and 2nd place in World's Best Urban Blog

Best UK Blog - Finalist in Weblog Awards 2005
Finalist - Best UK Blog
Weblog Awards 2005

Finalist for Best British & Irish Blog AND Best Topical Blog - Better luck next year!
Finalist in 5th Annual weblog awards - Bloggies 2005
Best British or Irish Blog
& Best Topical Blog



Webby Award Honoree
as part of the
9th Annual Webby Awards


 
SEARCH THIS SITE




ARCHIVES

Latest Entries
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003

FAVOURITE LINKS
London Underground Blog's Fundraiser for the London Bombings

Londonbloggers - every
blog featured by its
proximity to tube stations!

London Reconnections - Public transport projects in London - trying to update the above

Tubechallenge

London TravelWatch

The Last Rounds Project

London Underground News

TripHunter - Travel & Hotel tips

One Stop Short of Barking - London Underground Book
Fun new London Underground book out in September 2004 - One Stop Short of Barking - London Underground Book
One Stop Short of Barking Reviews
Metro
London Tonight - video
What's On In London Magazine
Angel Magazine
e-motion Magazine
The Green Magazine
Foyles Xmas Catalogue
Richmond Magazine

Been there, Seen that, Buy the T shirt, Mind the Gap

A Yahoo Pick of Day - May 1st 2004

Highly Commended in
The Guardian British Blog Awards 2003

Highly Commended!

follow anniemole at http://twitter.com/anniemole

BLOGS THAT MENTION MINE OR
GOINGUNDERGROUND
Cold Spring Shops

The Cartoonist
Neil Gaiman's (author of Neverwhere) blog
Londonist
Augustine's Blog
Where Worlds Collide
The Aardvark Speaks
funjunkie
autoblography
Rabid Librarian's Ravings in the Wind
moosifer jones' grouching
anglosaxy
Rat and Mouse
Joe in Vegas
Collin Kelley
Jon Choo's Blog
rabbitchick
Virginia Gal
Cowfish
Random Reflections
Richmond Transits
Underground Gal
London Daily Photo
Pigeon Blog
Seoul Man
Life with an accent
Petrona
The Londoneer
L J Rich - Geek Chic
London Review of Breakfasts
Tory Troll
Dave Hill's London Blog
Smaller than Life
The London Word
Ianvisits
Something to be said
Fake Plastic Noodles
Tikichris
Tired of London, Tired of Life
The Great Wen
Railway Eye
London Moving
ASLEF Shrugged
the antonine itineraries

OTHER BLOGS I LIKE
Writing Ourselves Well
Margaret Hamlin's Art Portfolio
Margaret Hamlin's blog
Peter Kenny: the daywork
CONTACT ME
Contact me
WEBRINGS
< # Blogging Brits ? >
<< ? Verbosity # >>
< ? blogs by women # >

MISC
A selection of UK Blogs
from UK Blogs Aggregator
Comments tool by
Haloscan

Been there, Seen that, Buy the T shirt, Mind the Gap

My top tube reads
Keith Lowe's novel Tunnel Vision

Novel 253

Fun new London Underground book out in September 2004 - One Stop Short of Barking - London Underground Book

My top tube DVD
Tube Tales, £4.99 a bargain!

This page is powered by Blogger. Is yours?

Get Firefox! - This blog opens like a dream with Firefox!

The British Bloggers Directory.

Blogwise - blog directory

Blog Flux Directory

Travel Blog Top Sites


follow anniemole at http://twitter.com/anniemole

Don't blame me, I didn't vote Boris Johnson - T shirts, pants & mugs

Sponsor my Circle Line hike for Cancer charity