Ode to Train Blues
To the guy attempting to run a coffee bar at Cambridge Station... When the price of something is £1.90, why would you charge someone £2.00 for it ? Then make some stupid remark when questioned about it ?To the 7 Dutch (Belgian ?) people on the 8:45 express train from Cambridge to Kings Cross (first destination carriage)... I'd like to personally thank you for making my journey as unpleasant as possible by holding a conversation at the level I've expect during a packed PSV Eindhoven Cup Final match, such that I could hear it from the other end of the carriage. Thanks, yet another journey ruined. I managed to travel for school/University of years in Scotland on a packed (but low noise) train - how I'd love to go back to those days (so that at the very least I could listen to the Iron Maiden track pumping from the headphones of the guy across from me).
Internet Irony
There is something a little ironic about sitting a Starbucks in London around the corner from Europe's largest Apple Store and only being able to get Edge reception (no 3G) on my iPhone. Things have gotten better over the past few months - but the UK still has a far way to go compared to Europe.
Are Starbucks Staff on Commission ?
I'm wondering if Starbucks staff are paid commission ? I was buying coffee this morning and the guy was really pushy trying to sell me muffins, sandwiches etc. My reply to him was simple "Don't I look fat enough ?" - that level of being blunt with people usually hits them...
As an aside, they are playing the strangest choice of music for a Starbucks (although better than the usual 45minute CD drivel). So far I've heard Roxy Music and right now the Sugarcubes 'Birthday'.
Nonsense Banking
Really simple task - pay cheque into a bank Saturday morning. No ! Went to the usual branch in the West End, only to find that the staff (likely due to staff shortages as people are on holiday) decided on the fly to change the opening time. I really love the professional way they have changed the opening times - using what looks like Tipp-Ex ! Of course there's absolutely no way to actually figure out an alternative branch that may be open !, tried to call and got put through to someone in Newcastle (who clearly had never been to London - though come to think of it plenty of people in Cambridge have neither !).
Wow. I have never seen a Brit speak so vocally about the services (or lack thereof) in the UK!
I think people like to complain about poor service, but never actually do anything about it. To be fair, things have got way better in the past 20 years (at least at a superficial level). However, there's still a lot to do compared to other places around the world.