Friday 20 July 2012

Boris Johnson booms out Olympic travel advice

My daughter nearly jumped out of her skin as the familiar voice boomed out across the packed concourse at London’s St Pancras station.

“Hi folks. This is the Mayor here. This is the greatest moment in the life of London for 50 years. We are welcoming more than a million people a day to our city. There is going to be huge pressure on the transport network. Don’t get caught out…”

Queuing to collect her Eurostar ticket to Paris, she couldn’t for the life of her think why Boris Johnson had suddenly popped up there. A group of French travellers in front of her looked completely mystified, while my daughter half expected the blond-haired bombshell to appear in person, racing through the station in cycling shorts and trailing an Olympic banner behind him.

It was only when she got back that she realised what the Big Brother-like voice was all about. For the next few weeks there’s going to be a Boris alert at all major stations – to help commuters plan their journeys during the Olympics.

I don’t know about you but I suspect Boris might carry on his chatty bulletins after the Games are over.

It’ll be “hi folks. I wouldn’t use the Circle Line this morning. It’s absolutely chocker,” or “hi folks. Avoid Oxford Street like the plague. It’s a complete dog’s dinner tonight…”

What do you think?

PS. A big thank you to Rosanna Morley for the picture of Tower Bridge by night, complete with the Olympic rings. 

8 comments:

  1. I passed through Victoria on Wednesday and Boris's voice was everywhere. I can't say I'm thrilled, and his jolly, avuncular, but slightly smug tone will soon grate, I'm afraid.

    It's a pity Joanna Lumley didn't stand for London Mayor, we might have forgiven anything to hear her dulcet tones... in fact, why didn't Boris delegate on this one?

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    1. Joanna Lumley - what a brilliant suggestion, Nicola. I would far prefer to get travel advice from her than Boris - her voice is so calming and cool.

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  2. Oh dear, at the risk of ruining a friendship, I'm rather fond of Boris!

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    1. Me too, Bex. I'm just not sure that I want to listen to travel updates from Boris!

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  3. Yes, dear old Boris shocked me out of my socks the other day as well. I just didn't expect it!

    Wouldn't be averse to hearing his jolly, plummy voice a bit more often on the Underground, but I do think he needs to speak a bit more clearly into the microphone. I mean, he is the mayor after all, surely the council can afford elocution lessons for him :-D

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    1. Hi Henriette. My daughter says she was completely stunned and thought it was Boris in person! Maybe it'll catch on and there will be Boris updates everywhere soon!

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  4. I passed through London last week and loved every second of the hype! The posters on the tube, the Bodiless-Boris, the newly posted signs pointing to venues. While I understand the concerns of Londoners on the traffic front, for visitors like myself, it just added to the joyous madness that is the capital city. Can't wait to go down for the cycling road race next Saturday!

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    1. Wow, Julia, that is so exciting. I can't wait to hear about it. I tried to get tickets and failed miserably...

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