please empty your brain below
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Boris London? Is our mayor a Union Jack-costumed superhero now?
peewit | Homepage | 05.11.10 - 7:10 a.m. | #
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Ouch, I hadn't noticed that before. I've noticed it now. Does nobody proof-read this stuff?
diamond geezer | Homepage | 05.11.10 - 7:15 a.m. | #
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The X killed photography. Too many pedestrians getting in the way.
Matt | 05.11.10 - 7:19 a.m. | #
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What were Mr and Mrs Dickinson thinking when they bestowed the name Richard on their son? Perhaps they had a career in the RAF in mind... Wing Commander Dickie Dickinson!
Marc | 05.11.10 - 7:41 a.m. | #
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Westminster Council seem to want people to walk in the roads. A few years ago they closed several pedestrian subways at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street, including one that took you from Marble Arch tube station under Park Lane to the Hyde Park Gate at Speakers corner, now everyone, and that is quite a lot of tourists, plus in the summer people attending concerts in the park, have to walk across busy Park Lane. It must have cost a lot of money to fill in the subways, what a waste.
They have done the same with the subways that were outside the Odeon.
John | 05.11.10 - 7:42 a.m. | #
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I thought you were just being pedantic on the first few points, but it certainly morphed into a true horror of PR by the time it got to the bottom.
Chz | 05.11.10 - 7:51 a.m. | #
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Hmmm :(
And Westminster can also delight at the news that - thanks to increased earnings in foreign countries - tourists are now able to bring 7%* more money with them, on their shopping trips to the West End.
(*Ummm. Or maybe it just SEEMS 7% more, given the scarily low value of Sterling against most other major currencies)
RogerW | 05.11.10 - 8:41 a.m. | #
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What's with all this filling in of subways? There once was a very useful one to get between Tower Hill tube and Tower Gateway DLR stations, but that is no more. Forcing everyone to have to cross a busy road. Is there any logic to it?
Tim
Tim | 05.11.10 - 9:24 a.m. | #
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Hmm, if you get mugged in a subway that's a 'crime statistic' (bad for politicians). If you get run over that's a 'traffic accident', and isn't counted against them in quite the same way. As to whether more pedestrians are killed or injured crossing the road than are murdered or mugged in subways, I'm not going to add to the dodgy statistics pile....
Gordon | 05.11.10 - 10:02 a.m. | #
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Why is this 'X' crossing any different from any other crossroads that give a four-way green pedestrian phase - other than a bit of fancy paintwork on the road?
Another Andrew | 05.11.10 - 10:07 a.m. | #
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Quite like Boris London. How about Boris London Johnson - BoLoJo. I stay away from OxCircus and OxStreet as much as I can. Nearby parallel east-west walks are far more interesting and far less frustrating. Bus view, top deck, is instructive however. You can now see a bit of the secret electricity station near the American Embassy from the bus. Is this their power supply? It hums quietly to itself. Always wondered. More interesting than crossings.
Herb of Romford | 05.11.10 - 10:24 a.m. | #
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Yes, we all love dodgy statistics. Even though 99% of all statistics are wrong.
Temp | 05.11.10 - 11:24 a.m. | #
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What is all the more galling (and I write PR releases) is that the numpty who put this rubbish together will get a glow of pride from the way his or her nonsense was repeated by the media. There is no justice.
Waterhouse | 05.11.10 - 11:39 a.m. | #
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In fact the lack of railings are now causing problems when the station is closed for overcrowding, with police and London Buses complaining that traffic is being impeded by passengers spilling into the road.
Kim | 05.11.10 - 12:35 p.m. | #
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Boris London's use of "iconic" at least deserves a good slapping down.
If Camden Council put in a X-shaped crossing by Holborn station I'd be happy, but dread to think of the PR bumph it will generate (as Holborn Quarter is at the Heart of Midtown, etc, etc, etc. NO IT BLOODY ISN'T. STOP IT)
Dominic H | 05.11.10 - 1:43 p.m. | #
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Yes, X Holborn definitely. It would help as there are no road subways there. Mind you, with its single entry maybe TfL want a slower flow-rate of bodies into the station and an agonisingly difficult crossing is an advantage to them.
Herb of Romford | 05.11.10 - 2:10 p.m. | #
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The crossing makes that bit of Oxford Circus easier to use... but never mind the rest of it which you can't walk down anyway due to the sheer volume of people!
Colin | 05.11.10 - 3:21 p.m. | #
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I thought 64% of statistics were made up on the spot.
mclm | 05.11.10 - 5:39 p.m. | #
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I love it when you rip press reports to shreds, and this one certainly gave you plenty of ammunition! :D
CornishCockney | 05.11.10 - 6:40 p.m. | #
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Three days on and "Boris London" has still not been corrected on the website. Unprofessional.
Great Aunt Annie | 05.11.10 - 6:50 p.m. | #
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In Australia we call them scramble crossings and I have six of them within a half mile of my home.
They are good if I want to cross diagonally but I often have to wait longer to cross otherwise.
gt | 05.11.10 - 9:38 p.m. | #
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I wouldn't congratulate Boris too much, or slap Councillor Barrow. Both their quotes will have been written by the PR team. If they are lucky, they might have been shown their quotes to say they approve, but I wouldn't even guarantee that.
Mouse A Nony | 05.11.10 - 10:27 p.m. | #
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So nobody ever crossed the road other than at an unofficial crossing before this? Wow.
Debster | Homepage | 06.11.10 - 10:12 a.m. | #
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Oops I mean official. I must have the same poofreader as Boris London.
Debster | Homepage | 06.11.10 - 10:12 a.m. | #
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Following Great Aunt Annie's comment of 'Three days on and "Boris London" has still not been corrected on the website. Unprofessional'...
... I see that, despite dg's note about them getting his name wrong (see comments for yesterday (Thursday)), The London Foodie haven't done anything to correct their error, either.
Hmmm. Looks like it could be "diaminds" is forever
/coat
:(
RogerW | 07.11.10 - 3:42 p.m. | #
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Actually, I know two separate groups of out-of-towners who specifically included Oxford Circus in their plans for a day in London so they could visit/use the crossing.
But aside from that, yes.
davebabs | 08.11.10 - 11:39 a.m. | #
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Kim is right. The corssing is actually very dangerous atthe moment. I have a strong feeling that crossing times have been reduced, with more time for traffic, so big crowds build up on each corner. People regularly overflow onto the road.
Even during less busy periods, only a tiny percentage of people use the diagonal corssing. I think it is "green" less frequently than the other corssings so its often quicker to go around 2 sides than to cut across.
Logistical | Homepage | 08.11.10 - 1:20 p.m. | #
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"Really, genuinely, hugely improved."
You said it!
That's the whole point.
It's become a nice place to cross.
Tolerant Brit | 08.11.10 - 3:16 p.m. | #
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