17 June 2000

This may sound repetitive.  We slept in!  And then went to St. Martin in the Fields again, this time for a performance of Vivaldi's Four Season's and some Bach pieces.  It was incredible!  Aside from the dumbass sitting behind us who was coughing, sneezing, and generally hacking up his lungs all over the place.  Do these people have no manners when they are sick?  I keep seeing them blow their noses, sneeze, cough, etc -- without covering themselves.  It's a wonder anyone is ever well here. 

* * * *

On the tube, we heard that a station was closed because of "defective lighting."  One thing I've learned about this place is that maintenance, or improvements generally, isn't something that's done.  Period. 

In the United States, we would set up temporary lighting and fix the damn problem!   Here, they stand around waiting for the government to "do something."   Hence, the station is closed, people are inconvenienced, time is wasted, etc.  

I had a similar observation on my January trip.  The up escalator broke in the South Wimbledon tube station.  It was marked "Defective" the entire week I was here, and passengers "unable to climb the stairs" were advised to ride to another tube station.  I found it ironic that people unable to climb stairs were advised to go to a tube station half a mile up or down the line!

Contrast this state of affairs with the Galleria Mall across the street from where I work.  The mall occasionally has an escalator break down.  Maintenance is dispatched and it's usually fixed in a few hours, tops. 

Lesson from my observations:  there is a significant difference in culture, and Americans don't come up nearly so short as some would have us believe.