Bad Idea

I like to think that I have fairly good ideas, on the whole. Usually I have a good head on my shoulders, and don't do anything irrational or stupid. However, I think this afternoon that all went down the tube. Or rather, the tube would have been preferable.

Meaning, I decided to take the number 25 bus from central London way back out here to Mile End. On the tube, it's probably a 15 to 20 minute ride. On foot, most likely an hour. So you know, it's not a quick jaunt or anything. Prior to my ride, I had spent a fruitless hour and a half walking around Oxford Street in searing heat, searching vainly for a pair of affordable, khaki, American shorts. It was hot as hell, swarming with people, and all the shorts cost a minimum of £25. I only had a bottle of lukewarm water, was craving one of the frappucinos I kept seeing people carry about, and was generally bitter towards the heat. Especially despairing was the shorts situation. I stopped into a Gap, thinking that the Gap, of all places, would have a quality pair of khaki, American shorts. I was foiled, and I must say, my confidence in the Gap to provide me with quality clothes has been severely shaken.

Keep in mind, the tube gets ungodly hot in this sort of weather. Not as much concern for ventilation in the early 1900's when the tunnels were dug. I figured the bus might be cooler, maybe it would even have air conditioning. I was wrong on both fronts.

I spent a burning half an hour on the bus. And let me tell you folks, it was miserable. All along the route, I saw happy people sucking down frappucinos, sitting near fountains, eating ice cream, etc. All the things that normal people do in the midst of a hellish heat wave, which I had been cruelly denied for the previous two hours. I even saw a Gregg's from the window, which is a fantastic food outlet that I've been searching for. To make matters worse, the bus wasn't even a double-decker bus, which would at least have added some novelty to the experience. I wasn't even cheered by the "blending in" aspect, or the diversity of the clientele. I was more preoccupied with avoiding the scent of the man who decided to sit next to me. To put it charitably, he smelled like shit.

I finally escaped at the Whitechapel stop, got some more cereal, and decided the 20 minute walk back to Mile End would be far more worthwhile than the bus. Finally, a wise choice.