Has London Got Friendlier?
Every Sunday morning, I take the Overground to Shadwell, where I switch to the DLR and go to Royal Victoria station, from where I get the Emirates Air-Line over the Thames to the O2. From there, I go to Canary Wharf station, where I have a late breakfast in Carluccio’s. This was my intension this morning, but I left my Oystercard behind, so I took the Jubilee line from Canning Town station to get to Canary Wharf. I’ve done it now perhaps six or seven times and it allows me to get a good view on the mood of London. Today everybody was very chatty and there was a generally friendly mood.
This wasn’t the first time, that I’ve noticed this upbeat mood on a personal level in recent weeks. One particular feature, is that I’ve had more talks with black people lately, than I’ve ever had in my past sixty-odd years. Could it be, that the Olympics is helping us to live together better, as in fact we all have more common interests, than those things that divide us?
In one instance, I walked away from a bus, with a black woman about my age, chatting about our health problems, both of us remarking that twenty years before, we’d have probably not said a word.
If this is the legacy of 2012, I’m all for it! Or is it just that finally we’ve developed a modern society?
The Anonymous Widower 
Manchester was like this when we had the Commonwealth Games, and although it arrived fairly quickly, it has largely stayed, people are chattier now.
Comment by Liz P | August 19, 2012 |
I do think though that the various races are talking more. Today, I opened the train door for a couple of Muslim young women, dressed in their best for Eid and they chatted with me until I got off. I think we are now finding two classes of Muslim women; those educated here and those that probably weren’t and only had a limited education anyway. You see a lot of the former in jobs dealing with the public and quite a few were Games volunteers.
Comment by AnonW | August 19, 2012 |
Yes, the Ice is broken . . . now Londoners will not only Talk more, but more Smiles & Laughter after showing everybody, how Friendly people really are . . .
What a great Game Changer {for recessions & gloom} . . . London Olympics 2012 . . .
Comment by Steam Lover | August 19, 2012 |
After I wrote that I had dinner with my son in Walthamstow. Coming back, whilst waiting for the train, I had a long chat with two black station staff, who thought so to. They’d had no trouble during the Olympics and felt everybody was just getting on with their lives. As I got on the train, we all shook hands.
Comment by AnonW | August 20, 2012 |
[…] and health problems were down and I have commented how everybody has been talking. Certainly, the police have been friendlier […]
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