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lproven In other words, I'm alive.
Ironically had had to reschedule a driving lesson this morning to attend a Novell Linux briefing in the City. Cycled up to the Tube at 8:30 or so -- to find it shut. Whole Northern Line out due to "a power surge at Balham"... Which seems early enough to be inconsistent with TV news reports. There's something odd there & I'd like to know more.
So I stuffed my jacket into my bag, tied my jumper (it was a cold, damp morning today) round my waist, metaphorically girded my loins & pedalled North.
The first I knew of all the horror was that all the few delegates who'd made it -- & Novell staff -- were clustered around a TV showing Sky News, which was repeating over & over that they knew nothing. I had been puzzled that Liverpool St was cordoned off by the police as I passed.
It all evokes horrible memories of my time in the City, 12+y ago. The Bishopsgate bomb was 2min walk from my office - it loosened all the windows & covered my servers in dust. A member of my staff should have been in that Sat morning & I was dreadfully worried that I couldn't get her on her work number -- this was before mobile phones. (Actually, she'd been to a party the night before & was (very VERY) late in, missing all the fuss.) A year or so later they cordoned off my enitre block, with me inside, at midnight over a suspicious abandoned car. That's not an experience I'd care to repeat!
Today, by about 9:45 the City GSM network had collapsed & I was unable to respond to any of the messages which trickled through. My thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
the_major, bonsaii, hobnobs, dougs & Alan Sullivan respectively for their SMSed concern & darkamber, scarlatti & renarde for theirs hereabouts. Not checked my email or voicemail yet; apologies to anyone I've missed or who got lost in the Ether. I am very touched!
I managed to make a landline call to reassure my Mum but couldn't get through to Clara despite repeated efforts. It took hours of hitting resend to squeeze out the 2 or 3 texts that would go.
I left the briefing at 3 & rode home at high speed through the semi-deserted City & heaving roads of South London. I've never seen so many ineptly-ridden, visibly-unfamiliar-to-their-riders bicycles -- but it was heartening to see how people were obeying the rules & the many extra police. (Apart from 2 yobbish-looking lads outside Clapham North getting a right royal bollocking from an irate PC.) Me, I streaked along.
Oh, & the rescheduled driving lesson was cancelled when he got here & discovered he had a flat tyre. Don't think I'll bother digging out the 'bent & pedalling back uptown again for the relocated mini-Ton. I really wish I'd not bothered going & had kept the lesson booked as was... But things could have been so very much worse. I'm very glad I didn't get a train. I have immense respct for those shown on Sky, in some mobile-phone movie footage from inside a bomb-damaged train at Aldgate, for their stoicism & bravery in not submitting to panic.
Thought for the day: whether it was Al Qaeda or whoever, doing this took planning & coordination. No, it's not admirable -- but they could have chosen to let them off an hour earlier & thus probably get 10X as many commuters in mid-rushhour. I'm not defending this appalling, cowardly abomination, but I think that bears thinking about.
To all I've heard from or of: I'm glad you're OK. To those directly affected: my sympathies. And if anyone I know or who may read this lost anyone: my condolences. I have little expectation of it, but I hope they get the scum responsible.
Ironically had had to reschedule a driving lesson this morning to attend a Novell Linux briefing in the City. Cycled up to the Tube at 8:30 or so -- to find it shut. Whole Northern Line out due to "a power surge at Balham"... Which seems early enough to be inconsistent with TV news reports. There's something odd there & I'd like to know more.
So I stuffed my jacket into my bag, tied my jumper (it was a cold, damp morning today) round my waist, metaphorically girded my loins & pedalled North.
The first I knew of all the horror was that all the few delegates who'd made it -- & Novell staff -- were clustered around a TV showing Sky News, which was repeating over & over that they knew nothing. I had been puzzled that Liverpool St was cordoned off by the police as I passed.
It all evokes horrible memories of my time in the City, 12+y ago. The Bishopsgate bomb was 2min walk from my office - it loosened all the windows & covered my servers in dust. A member of my staff should have been in that Sat morning & I was dreadfully worried that I couldn't get her on her work number -- this was before mobile phones. (Actually, she'd been to a party the night before & was (very VERY) late in, missing all the fuss.) A year or so later they cordoned off my enitre block, with me inside, at midnight over a suspicious abandoned car. That's not an experience I'd care to repeat!
Today, by about 9:45 the City GSM network had collapsed & I was unable to respond to any of the messages which trickled through. My thanks to
the_major, bonsaii, hobnobs, dougs & Alan Sullivan respectively for their SMSed concern & darkamber, scarlatti & renarde for theirs hereabouts. Not checked my email or voicemail yet; apologies to anyone I've missed or who got lost in the Ether. I am very touched!I managed to make a landline call to reassure my Mum but couldn't get through to Clara despite repeated efforts. It took hours of hitting resend to squeeze out the 2 or 3 texts that would go.
I left the briefing at 3 & rode home at high speed through the semi-deserted City & heaving roads of South London. I've never seen so many ineptly-ridden, visibly-unfamiliar-to-their-riders bicycles -- but it was heartening to see how people were obeying the rules & the many extra police. (Apart from 2 yobbish-looking lads outside Clapham North getting a right royal bollocking from an irate PC.) Me, I streaked along.
Oh, & the rescheduled driving lesson was cancelled when he got here & discovered he had a flat tyre. Don't think I'll bother digging out the 'bent & pedalling back uptown again for the relocated mini-Ton. I really wish I'd not bothered going & had kept the lesson booked as was... But things could have been so very much worse. I'm very glad I didn't get a train. I have immense respct for those shown on Sky, in some mobile-phone movie footage from inside a bomb-damaged train at Aldgate, for their stoicism & bravery in not submitting to panic.
Thought for the day: whether it was Al Qaeda or whoever, doing this took planning & coordination. No, it's not admirable -- but they could have chosen to let them off an hour earlier & thus probably get 10X as many commuters in mid-rushhour. I'm not defending this appalling, cowardly abomination, but I think that bears thinking about.
To all I've heard from or of: I'm glad you're OK. To those directly affected: my sympathies. And if anyone I know or who may read this lost anyone: my condolences. I have little expectation of it, but I hope they get the scum responsible.
