Terrorist Attack hits London, City on Alert

[Astronuc]

Things which were overheard in London yesterday
Some of them rather lovely.

True British style to laugh in the face of adversity.


An aunt and uncle are visiting one of my cousins in London this week. They were at home yesterday, so were not on the trains. They're OK.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

All my nearest and dearest are ok, too. Kids on early summer holidays as of 11:00 yesterday, cousins in the city ok, elderly parents finally got their international flight out of here, and hubby finally got home from work late last night. Lots of ringing around and emailing, my heart with those not as lucky.

 

[Moonbear]

Things which were overheard in London yesterday
Some of them rather lovely.


Coping with emergencies the British way: The nearest branch of Pret has sold
out of chocolate cake.

Now that makes me want to be British. Oh, wait, I'm 1/4 British, so I think I'll go have chocolate cake to show my support.

"Speaking on behalf of the people of Essex, we are standing by you the
peoples of Londonia in these trying times. Mainly because Suffolk won't swap
places with us."

That one's just cute.

The witnesses on the news seem to be very calm. Most of the Londoners are
more concerned with how they're getting to work tomorrow, and act as though
it's all a rather distasteful inconvenience.

Now that's typical British!

It was just announced that the queen is deeply shocked and that it has been
decided that the Congestion charge will not be in place today - how I love
the British.

Of all the strange things to cross my mind, that one actually did yesterday, but I didn't say it because it seemed inappropriate, but maybe it wasn't too inappropriate.

I heard from a friend who works in NYC that traffic was amazingly light today. It seems plenty of NYers are using paranoia of a copycat attack as a good excuse to start their weekend early too.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

The congestion charge will be resumed on Monday, can't have too much of a good thing.

 

[wolram]

Things which were overheard in London yesterday
Some of them rather lovely.


Coping with emergencies the British way: The nearest branch of Pret has sold
out of chocolate cake.
---------
These terrorists are rubbish.

They'll be caught next week, having successfully demonstrated that the
British react to terrorism with indifference. We grew up with it, you see.
What with this being a civilised country, they will not receive the death
penalty, but be locked up for the rest of their lives, to be regularly
sodomised by other inmates while they slowly realize that their
interpretation of their religion is a pile of old hokum. Whoops. Meanwhile,
I'll be out in London, partying.
---------
Photo of the statue of Edith Cavell, British nurse who was killed in the
first world war: "Patriotism is not enough: I must have no hatred or
bitterness for anyone".
---------
On days like this, the music radio stations play sad music - if they play
any music at all. I turned on the radio in the bathroom when I was taking my
shower just now, and they were playing One by U2.

HAVEN'T WE SUFFERED ENOUGH?
---------
I'm watching the news, I do it occasionally, it seems like a good time to do
so. And I'm seeing a guy who was blown off his feet by a bus going up, but
basically he's okay and being interviewed. And, shock allowed, he's pretty
much laughing it off. Another interview, a woman who was on the tube, just
the same response but maybe a little more detailed.

I love the UK sometimes, I really do. What happened is horrible, I don't
diminish it and I hope those responsible are suitably punished, possibly
with chainsaws ... but if they wanted terror well, they probably shouldn't
have gone to London. Not because Londoners are particularly braver than
anyone else (although they might be, have you seen the prices there?) but
because they've walked through a helluva lot worse than that.

Nice try, no cigar.
---------
Was at Tavistock Square - close enough to get a nose-bleed, but not close
enough to get showered by debris, which really did travel up high, and also,
far enough to be otherwise absolutely fine. A bit shaken but feeling lucky.
---------
I called in sick with a migraine today. My psychic powers are awesome! [(I
told him my girlfriend also was sick).]

She and I should form a psychic taskforce! Anywhere we don't want to go,
THERE BE BOMBS!
---------
All these explosions are rather scary.
Don't suppose the French are that sore at losing are they?
---------
People saying 'I've lived in London for four years, I'm sort of prepared for
this sort of thing.'
---------
"Speaking on behalf of the people of Essex, we are standing by you the
peoples of Londonia in these trying times. Mainly because Suffolk won't swap
places with us."
---------
Gosh.
Probably not going up to Angel today then.
---------
Got back from a meeting to find 9 missed calls and 12 emails. Thanks for the
concern :)
I'm fine, luckily I get the tube (through liverpool street) at about
7.10am... Tavistock square is GODDAMN CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, dammit.
---------
The witnesses on the news seem to be very calm. Most of the Londoners are
more concerned with how they're getting to work tomorrow, and act as though
it's all a rather distasteful inconvenience.

HURRAH! The great British Spirit triumphs once again! Take that, Al Quaeda.
You tried to spread panic with your terrorist ways, but you hadn't counted
on a nation of repressed, stiff-upper-lip Brits who refuse to show unseemly
emotion in public!

People are generally spooked, but quickly contacting their friends and
making plans to deal with the disruption. Good on you!
-------
BBC Parliament internal email: NEWSFLASH:
There has been a widespread outbreak of grumbling and tutting today in
London, along with a large number of people going home instead of to work,
with a certain amount of guilty pleasure.

Sorry, bad guys. We've been bombed before, and we just adjust our day to
account for it. This is London calling.
-------
It was just announced that the queen is deeply shocked and that it has been
decided that the Congestion charge will not be in place today - how I love
the British.
-------
"I'd like to congratulate today's terrorists for achieving nothing but
instilling a fierce patriotism back into the British Isles, creating a
rather wide-spread rash of Blitz Spirit, and giving me a day off work. I'm a
bit pissed off that you nearly blew up some of my friends, but at the end of
the day - you failed. We're still here, we're not scared of you."
---------
God, I wish I'd brought my decent camera.
-------
The people of London have responded to all this exactly the way I always
imagined we would; with humour, strength and defiance. I've never been more
proud to be British, and never more proud to be a Londoner. Pip pip.
-------
God I love the British...
Nobody does pissed off disdain like 'em...
This *rules*
--------
Okay: it's ****ing INCREDIBLE what a medium Farmhouse Pizza can do to lift
one's mood at a time like this.

You made me cry, Brewey, put on your old tin hat and smile, smile.

 

[stoned]

that crappy London subway needed complete refurbishment 40 years ago anyway, bad that people died but if one attacks other nations then they should expect counter attack.

 

[stoned]

True British style to laugh in the face of adversity.

.
adversity is what people of Iraq are going thru.