Friday Lunchtime

It is very gratifying.

Today I wandered off up Victoria Street at lunchtime in the search for something toothsome to ingest.

Still in Greenstreet mode but sans Panama hat - I can't quite bring myself to wear it - and with ciggy alight I wandered off up the street to mix with the Great Unwashed.

And for the first time since the Mayor, Red Ken Livingstone introduced the Congestion Charge back in February this year people are getting what they pay for.

There has been some grumbling about it, and some doubt that the daily £5 charge was or is doing the job it was introduced to do.

But whatever the general position, for today it is a great success. People are definitely getting their fiver's worth in the Victoria area of London today.

You can barely get a credit card between the bumpers of the vehicles out there. It's a long time since I've seen so many vehicles and smelt so much exhaust. Splendid.

And the woman who looked at me sideways for smoking didn't notice any of the grey/brown oily miasma floating gently up and away from the mechanical mass. Still, I appreciated the irony of it all and what more do you need on a sunny day in the city?

Especially when you know that when the wind picks up, all that smog will end up as acid rain over Germany and Scandinavia. You know, their Green Parties ought to pay us.

Marvellous.

Friday Lunchtime

It is very gratifying.

Today I wandered off up Victoria Street at lunchtime in the search for something toothsome to ingest.

Still in Greenstreet mode but sans Panama hat - I can't quite bring myself to wear it - and with ciggy alight I wandered off up the street to mix with the Great Unwashed.

And for the first time since the Mayor, Red Ken Livingstone introduced the Congestion Charge back in February this year people are getting what they pay for.

There has been some grumbling about it, and some doubt that the daily £5 charge was or is doing the job it was introduced to do.

But whatever the general position, for today it is a great success. People are definitely getting their fiver's worth in the Victoria area of London today.

You can barely get a credit card between the bumpers of the vehicles out there. It's a long time since I've seen so many vehicles and smelt so much exhaust. Splendid.

And the woman who looked at me sideways for smoking didn't notice any of the grey/brown oily miasma floating gently up and away from the mechanical mass. Still, I appreciated the irony of it all and what more do you need on a sunny day in the city?

Especially when you know that when the wind picks up, all that smog will end up as acid rain over Germany and Scandinavia. You know, their Green Parties ought to pay us.

Marvellous.