Bot v Human

I’ve had a very long journey today. From South London to Middlesex and return.

Is it the strikes that made it long and unbearable or is travelling in the city just always long arduous and unbearable?

Visitors always comment that for it being a city why does it always take at least 45 mins to get anywhere? But this is besides the point.

I found todays journey actually fairly pleasant. People making room for others, no one running or pushing, because everyone knows theres at 10 min minimum wait at the platform, so no rush to get there, I even got offered a seat because i was waiting first (SHOCK Horror politeness). I secretly think everyone was routing for the tube drivers and so was I.

On the surface it seems to be a simple case of ‘see how you get on without us!’ and I did miss the tube running swiftly, people in blue not orange coats, the people with the tannor asking us to be polite and let people off first, and as I got lost on my journey, someone to speak to and ask ‘How the blazes do I get there?’. TFL app doesn’t work on the tube.

Boris seems to think that we (the commuters) where traveling in defiance of the tube strike. Err no. We were travelling to get to work. That thing that gives us the money to put food (vastly inflated in price) on the table, pay the rent, heat the homes we live in. Just as the tube workers would also like to do. Again I digress

It appears that all tube ticket office workers are to be replaced with more Oyster card top up machines. They’re not even multilingual so good luck to all the tourists. I can remember having lost my travel card, being in tears and dreading a fine, on many occasions, and being able to speak to a human was the difference to an devastating day (-£50) or a slightly annoying day (lost my pass).

My youth work question of the day is how would youth work work if it was an automated system like an Oyster Card? Without the human interaction we would be lost in a series of multiple choice questions with strict outcomes designed by the guys in City Hall n order for all to fit into the idea of the ideal citizen. Urgh , a bleak beginning for may young people I think.

No, I think we’ll keep empathy thanks

#tubestrikesrobotsyouthworkyoungpeople