Going Overground

Turkish Baths and Hot Tempers



Anyone commuting in London right now will know that this post is not going to be about it being like a Turkish Bath on the Tube. It's been a shit July as far as the weather's concerned. Overcast, not very hot, but muggy, raining almost every day, an equal number of people in boots as in Birkenstock sandals, and no "Phew wot a scorcher" headlines this month.



Me and a friend from work (who had been caught up in yesterday's catalogue of Tube delays) and her friend had a really pleasant and relaxing time at some Turkish Baths near to where we work. Then had a leisurely Italian meal a bit further away from where I normally work, so I decided to get the bus to Waterloo and then British Snail overground to Richmond.



As I was walking through the station there was a scuffle. It didn't look like a massive fight but ended up with a guy wearing a Thug Rock T shirt (what is it about sloganned T shirts these days) doing that "Come on then, if you think you're hard enough" flicking motion with his hands, and a lot of other men between him and the person he was fighting saying "Forget it, just go". Fortunately he went swaggering off.



I walked to where my train was leaving from and saw that wasn't the end of the story, as another guy was lying on the floor unconscious, with a number of concerned people standing around, some putting him in the recovery position, blood on the floor and amazingly not one member of South West Trains staff around.



OK it was late - about five past eleven, but not really, really late and luckily some good Samaritans who looked in control where checking his pulse and doing other competant looking stuff. But I was watching this for about five minutes before anyone vaguely official came along. Counter this to the scenes in the morning when the station is positively crawling with staff trying to prosecute people for travelling without tickets.



Fortunately, the guy regained consciousness, but bang went my feelings of calm and serenity after leaving the Turkish baths.