On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 14:35:03 GMT, Simon Brooke
wrote:

"Richard Goodman" writes:

"[Not Responding]" wrote in message
...
This makes for interesting reading.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/...125748,00.html

I'm not sure how much credence to give him but surely Trafalgar Sq
can't be *worse* than it was?

Why not? If there were problems getting round it before, how is it going to
make it better by not being able to go round it at all? Frankly, I agree
with the article.

[scythe: more whinging about living in urban Britain]

You know, this is all so much nonsense.

Yes, our cities are hoplessly overcrouded, miserable, stressful places
where no-one in their right minds would live and work. I agree wth
you. Why do you still live and work there? Well, of course, you need a
large salary to pay for your huge mortgage, and you can only get a
large salary in an urban center. Why do you have a huge mortgage?
Well, because you need to live close enough to your job to commute
through the filthy overcrowded tubes or the filthy gridlocked
roads or the filthy overcrowded unreliable railways.

It doesn't matter what you do in London; it doesn't matter how much
you earn. Your quality of life is poorer than the guy who sweeps the
streets in Kikcudbright, your liesure opportunities more impoverished,
and your actual disposable income - what you can really spend after
you've paid for all the things needed to support your metropolitan
lifestyle - probably less.

If you don't like it in London, don't whinge, leave.

Wrong answer.

There is no reason why "our cities [should be] hoplessly overcrouded,
miserable, stressful places where no-one in their right minds would
live and work" or where you "commute through the filthy overcrowded
tubes or the filthy gridlocked roads or the filthy overcrowded
unreliable railways".

The fact that they are is a result of mis-management and a culture of
earning enough to get out. If our cities and urban centres are to
become the centres of cultural, environmental, educational and
commercial excellence that they should be then we need the brightest
and best to stay, not leave.

Re-invigorated city and urban life is the key to a sustainable future.
People have to want to live there rather than choose lengthy commutes
from the suburbs or the country.