I’ve been awake for a grand total of 2 hours, and already I’ve managed to be infuriated by life. Nexus, bus drivers, cash machines, disruptive arseholes in my college class.
Bus pass out of date. Fair enough. But the Nexus Travelshop in the city is, for some unknown reason (I say unknown, but I know damn well why) is closed on the morning of the 4th Friday rotation. The only reason I can fathom for this is because on this particular Friday, a vast majority of people get paid and would like to renew their pass on this day. However, they can’t do this because the fucking ticket office is closed - thus forcing them to pay bus/trains fairs in the morning.
Anyway, back the point. As mentioned before, my travel pass is out of date. By force of habit I showed the bus driver this (essentially) worthless piece of card. Only for him to take it off me, say it was out of date, and that he couldn’t give it back. Bullshit. You can’t breath in space. You can’t flap your arms and fly. Youcan’t change the direction of the Earth’s spin by walking backwards. Returning a pass is simple.
Upon trying to reason with the horrible little man, he told me that I would receive a fine and that if I wanted it back, I would have to contact the bus depot. Which I AM NOT going to do; because a) I can’t be bothered, and b) By the time I got it back, the money I would’ve wasted on bus/train fairs would by far offset the £4-6 for a new set of Polaroid pictures - which takes me onto my next point.
I simply asked if I could have the picture then (still surprisingly calmly) because I couldn’t afford to splash out £4-6 for 4 passport photos, 3 of which I don’t need or ever have a future use for. Past experience dictates that you never need more than one from a quad of portraits per year, and when you’re a young adult, you tend to change in appearance quite substantially from year to year; with haircuts, facial stress lines, facial hair, blah, blah, blah. But nope. Wouldn’t have it. Flat out refused to listen to reason. Now I wasn’t about to start blabbing the strife of my lowly and irrelevant life, so I don’t think he quite got the clarity in the picture that I was trying to paint when I said, “I can’t afford the best part of £84 for a whole new pass.” (£80 for the pass (monthly) and £4 for a picture). He had such a disgusting attitude, not apologetic, no compassion - just a downright refusal to see reason. His moral compass was so fucked up, I’m surprised he managed to navigate his bus out of the depot this morning. I would understand if it was a paper bus ticket - showing a single and trying to get away with a return, for example.
I mentioned before (if you can dissect it from the rest of the surprisingly legible rant) he also said that I would get a fine. At this point, rather understandably in my eyes, I blew up. Now normally I’m mild tempered and show a surprising amount of patience, rather reluctantly, may I add. Anyway, BANG. “A FINE? FOR WHAT? A SIMPLE MISTAKE. I’VE JUST PAID MY FUCKING FARE ON THIS BUS. TOTAL BULLSHIT!”.
Not entirely sure if he only said it to try and rattle me, or if he was serious, either way, he rattled my rafters like the December 2010 Cumbrian earthquake.
I would understand this hostility to someone clearly trying to evade the fair, or with someone who showed hostility towards him first. I do it all the time at my employment - as soon as somebody shows undue hostility towards me, I show them equally as much attitude back. But this wasn’t the case.
Either way, yeah, I may have been in the wrong, but it was an accident. If everybody was persecuted for an accident in this country, we’d all be in prison. What happened to the, clearly, lost art of discretion? Is it beyond the compassion of this idiot?
Whilst sitting on the bus steaming with rage, my mind turned to all the other victims of these jobsworths. All they hit is the innocent, honest and not-so-well-off people who do their best to get through life. Whether it’s in the council, the government or in the private sector, jobsworths strive to cause as much annoyance and suffering to the hard-working general public who are unfortunate enough to be caught in their miserable, pathetic lives.
After that rant, I do feel better.
Anywho, onto the next thing (yeah there’s going to be more):
Alistair Campbell was a guest on Channel 4’s new satirically funny news show, 10 ‘O Clock Live. He was being interviewed by David Mitchell, which didn’t seem out of place at all. Seriously.
The topic of conversation rather predictably found it’s sights on the Iraq War. And I must admit, Campbell has a point. The reasons for going to war were perhaps unjustified, but the resulting downfall that was Saddam Hussien’s brutal dictatorship was perhaps a big finish to the disastrous start. They have a democracy now. Albeit a rocky one, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Democracy’s don’t just happen - especially not with a people who have never lived under one. Ever.
People may argue that this may not be the right way for the Iraqi people to live. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps a Monarchy would better suit them, but for a Monarchy, you need royalty - but I’m entirely sure that there isn’t any ‘royal’ blood left in Iraq. Churchill once said, This may not be the best solution, but it is the best solution so far.
Or something along those lines.
Just one last thing. I promise. Two bloggers that I suggest you check out!
The first is an incredibly well written blog that practises the art of satire. I aspire to be as talented as this blogger one day.
The second is what can only be decribed as my sisterblog. Full of shenanigans about life as a student and what not.
Take a look if your strict procrastination timetable allows you.
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