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  Mon 18th November 2024

I get talking to a copper travelling first class. His field is tracking down child pornographers. "You watch their internet connections, and it's faked to be from some place, London, say, then there's a tiny moment when they disconnect when you see a little flash of their actual location." They have to have plenty of time away from the work: it's so distressing that it can lodge repeated, nightmarish films in even the most hardened detectives' heads.


Today is Day Eleven, in capitals.

In one of those rash self-improvement decisions which I now regret, I vowed to have four weeks off the pop, from one pay day to the next. In as far as I'm perfectly capable of boring and offending people whilst sober, I'm not expecting much change, but it's more a financial experiment, to see how it affects the bottom line come December's payday (on 6th). Already I'm aware that the notes in my wallet last much longer; I'm also sleeping better. The main cost is never having the type of spontaneous, unpredictable conversations with strangers that only happen in a good pub; although muttering to oneself whilst looking at one's glass of beer is also a pleasure.

To use the time freed up, I'm doing a French course which promises to take me from my present CEFL Level B1 to B2 (not in four weeks, obviously). I'm enjoying it, even though, and because, it exposes the errors I have accumulated from my largely self-taught method. I want to be good enough to make the locals I meet on our Breton holidays think twice about replying to me in their own language.

Mel is delighted about my decision, because, like all women I've ever been involved with, she has this naive belief in the ability of men to become better moral characters.


We had a depressing email come round at work yesterday, warning us to expect short-term changes to our roster now that we are two staff short, yet again showing how little Transport that Fails considers the fact that we might have lives outside work.

They've sacked one person for persistent absences, and, to everyone's relief, not made permanent the contract of a them/they who spent her six months at Transport that Fails writing sniping, complaining emails about everyone for such catastrophic derelictions of duty such as failing to empty the coffee machine's grounds.

The other day, I was on the train with the them/they, and, after struggling with one of those little plastic packets of condiment that are designed to burst all over your hands, I gave it to her, who opened it immediately. Intending a compliment, I said "if you want something doing, give it to a woman."

I received a black look which took me a moment to understand. I pretended not to notice it (neither the look nor the person).


At the moment, the state of the escape plan is:

  • Trainee Conductor, near my mum up north, applied 8/10/24. "Application under consideration."
  • Trainee Guard, somewhat near my home town, applied 30/10/24. Online assessment (a load of mystifying computer games) completed 3/11/24. "Application successfully submitted."
  • Customer Service Assistant (i.e., on the barriers), near Trina's, applied 6/11/24. "Shortlisting".

There's also the Bristol trolley dolly job, which would be my first choice by a long stretch. The woman who was appointed (I came second) failed her drugs and alcohol test. I was hoping I might be called up to the position without further ado, but apparently not: "Application pending".

8 comments »

8 comments

Comment from: Scarlet [Visitor]

I’ve struggled to access your blog - if I try from my Blogger blog sideboard I get a message telling me that I’m an evil spammer and that my card is marked.
Anyhow, good luck with the non drinking. It will make you richer - and then you will get pissed more easily when you start drinking again - which will also make things cheaper.
What are you escaping from? Bristol? Good luck with that as well.
Sx
P.S Your site hates Blogspot - it won’t let me enter my Blogger address.

Tue 19th November 2024 @ 13:45 Reply to this comment
Comment from: [Member]

Ah…Miss S, you deserve a medal for your persistence! I’ve removed b___t.com from the antispam blacklist. The people who designed this blog thing put b-spot on it because it is the number one source of comment spam on blogs.

But not to worry, I’ll just whack any individual moles that poke their heads up. I don’t want to make things difficult for people to visit.

I’m trying to escape Transport that Fails and its many problems, the main one of which is that we only find out our shifts a short time in advance – sometimes only a few days. They just treat you as skivvies who will jump to attention whenever they click their fingers. It’s intolerable.

You’re right about the advantages of not drinking. I’ll be under the table after three pints next month.

Thanks again for persisting through the thickets.

Tue 19th November 2024 @ 22:20 Reply to this comment
Comment from: 63mago [Visitor]

Ah yeah, the dispatcher’s finger snip.
I stand to short notice, but as some routes are more difficult than others (the one i drive right now needed only one half day for introduction; the one before needed three full working days, and still was difficult to navigate) they know that there must be some time to learn. all in all it is acceptable, and one can always cry for help - and gets help.
The non-drink days - ach, yeah, from time to time it is necessary. Not for the dosh only, but for the head too. And the body : Better sleep, better innards, batter all (no more blue pill) : There is still life in the bonesack !
I do not get the themtheys. My work environment is stuffed with strange people, so they would not stand out. It makes no difference who or what you are, as long as you are no asshole, but man, you will be told, no worries.
Great to see that you learn, or embetter, your French - I would really like to be able to do that, or master at least Italian basics.

Wed 20th November 2024 @ 21:33 Reply to this comment
Comment from: looby [Visitor]

I sometimes think how interesting it would be to come with you on one of your drives through deepest Swabia. I’d love to meet some of these characters – chief of whom is yourself of course!

I’m really enjoying improving my French. I feel like I’m learning a lot, and – I didn’t expect this – I find it puts me in a good mood afterwards.

Fri 22nd November 2024 @ 18:28 You are currently replying to this comment
Comment from: exile on pain street [Visitor]

I could be losing my situation soon and don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t retire but I’m too auld to be hired by any sensible company.

Fri 22nd November 2024 @ 23:59 Reply to this comment
Comment from: looby [Visitor]

Oh dear, that’s bad news for just before Christmas. I’ll drop you an email tonight.

Mon 25th November 2024 @ 18:39 Reply to this comment
Comment from: kono [Visitor]

Oddly i thought i had left a comment on this awhile ago… hmm, maybe i should take a month of the ganja to see what would happen, lol! like maybe i’d remember shite not to mention the effect it would have on the old wallet, but it’s a healthy endeavor to take a break now and then so good on you sir!

The bit about women and moral character got a good laugh out of me as you are spot on with that observation…

As for the job, good luck my friend, i often wonder what i’ll do when i’m pushed back into the workforce, of course there is a lot of intricacies involved in that respect… do feel for Exile though, i saw it happen to my father and in this country ageism runs rampant, along with a lot of other isms… Happy Chrimbo my friend!

Fri 6th December 2024 @ 13:48 Reply to this comment
Comment from: 63mago [Visitor]

It’s the 8th of December today - if I calculated correctly in my chaotic cranium, the four weeks are over now.
Did you pull it through ? I really ask out of curiosity. I doubt that I could.

Sun 8th December 2024 @ 13:30 Reply to this comment


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looby, n.; pl. loobies. A lout; an awkward, stupid, clownish person


M / 60 / Bristol, "the most beautiful, interesting and distinguished city in England" -- John Betjeman [1961, source eludes me].

"Looby is a left-wing intellectual who is obsessed with a) women's clothes and b) tits." -- Joy of Bex.

WLTM literate woman, 40-65. Must have nice tits, a PhD, and an mdma factory in the shed, although the first on its own will do in the short term.


There are plenty of bastards who drink moderately. Of course, I don't consider them to be people. They are not our comrades.
Sergei Korovin, quoted in Pavel Krusanov, The Blue Book of the Alcoholic

I am here to change my life. I am here to force myself to change my life.
Chinese man I met during Freshers Week at Lancaster University, 2008

The more democratised art becomes, the more we recognise in it our own mediocrity.
James Meek

Tell me, why is it that even when we are enjoying music, for instance, or a beautiful evening, or a conversation in agreeable company, it all seems no more than a hint of some infinite felicity existing apart somewhere, rather than actual happiness – such, I mean, as we ourselves can really possess?
Turgenev, Fathers and Sons

I hate the iPod; I hate the idea that music is such a personal thing that you can just stick some earplugs in your ears and have an experience with music. Music is a social phenomenon.
Jeremy Wagner

La vie poetique has its pleasures, and readings--ideally a long way from home--are one of them. I can pretend to be George Szirtes.
George Szirtes

Using words well is a social virtue. Use 'fortuitous' once more to mean 'fortunate' and you move an English word another step towards the dustbin. If your mistake took hold, no-one who valued clarity would be able to use the word again.
John Whale

One good thing about being a Marxist is that you don't have to pretend to like work.
Terry Eagleton, What Is A Novel?, Lancaster University, 1 Feb 2010

The working man is a fucking loser.
Mick, The Golden Lion, Lancaster, 21 Mar 2011

The Comfort of Strangers

23.1.16: Big clearout of the defunct and dormant and dull
16.1.19: Further pruning

If your comment box looks like this, I'm afraid I sometimes can't be bothered with all that palarver just to leave a comment.

63 mago
Another Angry Voice
the asshat lounge
Clutter From The Gutter
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Eryl Shields Ink
Exile on Pain Street
Fat Man On A Keyboard
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George Szirtes ditto
Infomaniac [NSFW]
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5:4
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Desiring Progress Collection of links only
NewMusicBox
The Rambler
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Sequenza 21
Sound and Music
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