How idiotic can people be?

So, today is the final day before the drinking of alcohol is banned on the London Underground network. I've posted my thoughts on this elsewhere, and it's pretty much a textbook definition of gesture politics. It's going to be popular with the simple minded, but there's not a huge amount to object to over it. And I must say that I've always been surprised that it's not been banned before now.

It's obvious that (in these days of social networking, especially in London) people would end up doing something to celebrate the last day/protest about the introduction of the ban, and it's good that it was expected and plans were made for it by TFL and BT police.

However, if you're someone who disapproves who is attempting to show their dislike for the new rules then what would be the absolute worst thing to do? Yes, you guessed it. Have hundreds of pissed, excitable people descending on one station causing its closure on a Saturday evening. By doing that you're showing the ban to be a fantastically good idea. If you wanted to show the flaws in the plan then organise hundreds of people to be on the trains having a quiet drink not causing any problems whatsoever. That would make people realise how flawed the plan is. Not this. All this will do is make normally rational people think that, perhaps, the ban might be a good idea.

1,168,738 people. Fuck the lot of you.

It became inevitable in the past twelve hours. But Boris Johnson has won. I'm not happy.

Why? Why? They're fucking lunatics.

Well, there goes any chance of any me owning a flat or house in London. There goes any chance of practically anyone who isn't an ex Etonian with millions set to be inherited owning anything here.

I'm tempted to go for a walk to just outside the M25 tomorrow and sit there for a bit. Then go and use a bendy bus.

You're promising to "get cracking on affordable housing" (or something. Not a direct quote, but getting there). Okay. By scrapping targets for affordable housing? Yeah, wonderful. The market will sort it? In the long run perhaps. But, as Keynes said, "The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead". Let's think in the short run shall we? In the short run, while there are thousands (millions?) of people who want to live in London. In the short run they'll have nowhere to live because the place is full of expensive flats that none of them can afford. It'll take an awfully long time for the market to realise that affordable housing (importantly, with lower margins for developers) is needed. What's needed is a managed housing policy.

There's much more I could say, but my mind isn't working as it should. I blame the wine. But there's one final thing that I'm going to say:


Brian Blessed for London Mayor.

Election liveblog

Only kidding. I know nobody would read it anyway.

But yeah, I'm staying up for a bit watching the telly coverage. I've voted Labour for the first time in my life. But it's a good vote for Labour since it was for Ken Livingstone. I voted for the Green Party candidate (Siân Berry) with my second vote. Given the electoral system it's fairly useless, but it's the idealogical hippy in me speaking. And they want to renationalise the railway system. Perhaps I should have voted for them in the London-wide assembly member vote. I've done it anyway.

Reasons for not voting for Boris Johnson have been widely discussed everywhere. The prospect of Johnson being the mayor of London is utterly terrifying. Livingstone is nowhere near perfect. He associates with some unsavoury people (although I must say I'm of the opinion that it's better to enter a dialogue with people you disagree with rather than stick your fingers in your ears, shout "LA LA LA" and hope they go away), but he's done an awful lot of good for London. Of course a change of ideas can definitely be a good thing (which is why I think that, if Ken wins this election, he definitely shouldn't stand for a for a fourth time), but Boris Johnson isn't the person to do it. Particular irritations? Alright.

• "OMGz! Itz Boris! He iz teh funneh!1!!1!!!1!" - Think about it for one minute. Yes, he was amusing on Have I Got News For You. He can be amusing when he's saying things on television. But think about why he's funny. He's funny because he doesn't know what he's doing. He's funny because he's out of touch with the realities of modern life. How, by any stretch of the imagination, does that make him a suitable candidate to be the most powerful directly elected politician (directly elected to the position of power they hold) in the UK and the (I believe) third most powerful directly elected politician in Europe?
  
• "It's all an act. He's actually quite clever" - I don't know. That might be right. But he's been playing this part for the whole time since he became a public figure. If he wins he might become a "new person" and show this supposed serious side that we've all been promised. Are people voting for the "promise" of a new personality in the future? That's, of course, utterly idiotic.
  
• The Tube - Wow, what a great idea to keep the tube running later on weekends! Why on earth wasn't that thought of before? As far as I'm aware, it was suggested by Ken Livingstone and was deemed to be impossible. When is engineering work going to be done? Opening times would have to be pushed back (starting times on a Sunday morning are already irritatingly late) causing no end of problems for many people. And saying that he's going to ask the unions nicely to not strike? "Please don't strike! Pretty please!". Does he have the faintest idea of how any of this works?

There's little point in this as everyone has voted, but I just wanted to get it off my chest. If Boris Johnson wins then it'll be terrible for London. I have little faith in humanity as it is, but I'll lose even that if he wins.

Aah well, it's all fun. I started this so long ago I can't even remember what I started saying. Congratulations to anyone who has read this. Have a lollipop.