Hey ho, what’s going on?  It seems to me that the art of e-mail conversation has already died, even before it really had the time to gain a good foothold!  For a few fleeting years in the late 90s, I enjoyed endless lively, always humorous, often long-winded debate with friends via e-mail – arrangements were made, issues were discussed, nights out were planned in meticulous detail, opinions were expounded, feelings were expressed. Most of us worked in boring offices and therefore conversing with friends on e-mail always took precedence over more tedious work duties, and the fact that we were wasting countless hours of so-called valuable work time didn’t seem to matter. Oh how things have changed since those heady days of irresponsibility…now, unfortunately, it is with much chagrin that I open my inbox, inevitably only to find the odd group e-mail from a far-flung pal who I can scarcely remember (no offence intended to far-flung pals), alongside a few e-mails suggesting how to improve my penis size. Death to Facebook, Bebo and Myspace and other such websites that have contributed to the dearth of e-mails in my box, that’s what I say! They are the ones to blame for the assassination of e-mail conversation!

I realise there are two sides to every story and I am aware that perhaps there are some very good reasons why the the London Underground staff are so hell bent on continuing with this ridiculous urge to strike, whether it be due to engineers’ strife, the threat of job losses, or the proposed reduction in manned offices at tube stations.  All very good arguments to down tools, I’m sure, but I’m beginning to think that the strike is all really part and parcel of Boris’s campaign to get everyone on their bikes.  Seriously, think about it, Boris has been banging on about getting Londoners fit for months.  He’s introduced his very own bike scheme, he’s dropping ‘Olympics 2012’ into every conversation and news conference, he’s encouraging people to get fit.  And yet London’s citizens still insist on dragging their ever-increasing asses onto the over-crowded tubes each day.  Still they insist on changing at Leicester Square on the Northern Line only to get on the Piccadilly Line to take them to Covent Garden.  How lazy are we?

There I was dragging my feet along Talgath Road this morning at 7am pondering the benefits of residing in London whilst gaily singing the lyrics to ‘Flashdance, What a Feelin” when all of a sudden it occurred to me that the Underground strikes will no doubt lead to an increase in an uptake of Boris bikes.  Sickened commuters everywhere will be forced to hire a bike or take to the footpaths rather than facing the inevitable crush on the capital’s buses.

I for one opted to hit the road from Hammersmith to South Kensington this morning rather than attempt to navigate the complicated bus system around Hammersmith station.   Some things just aren’t worth it.

So there it is!  Boris will continue to send the Underground staff out to the picket line and Londoners all over town will be forced to use their legs to get about town.  Genius!  Go Boris!