July 26 2007 London/Tube/Anfield

Short, sharp shock returning to public transport in UK. In London yesterday for meeting with Newspaper Licencing Agency and tube across town from Euston to Blackfriars.
Packed, red-hot, claustrophobic, oppressive.
Got back into Lime Street yesterday evening and took Merseyrail across to Hoylake. Horrified by the rubbbish lying on the platforms, in the carriages, on the seats.
Hate to bang on about Montreal but it was all so CLEAN there.
So what came first? The chicken or the egg? Is it slobs who mess up our public transport because they are ignorant pigs with no respect for property or other people?
Or is it poor cleaning regimes that mean people think 'why the hell should I bother if the operators don't?'
Merseyrail boss Neil Scales has been known to march down carriages asking people to take their feet of the seats.And I was delighted yesterday to see some young fare dodgers collared.
But surely we need to demonstrate more pride and ownership as users is we are to have a rail network to be proud of?

Wowed by the designs for the proposed new Anfield Stadium yesterday.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/07/25/revealed-the-first-pictures-of-the-new-anfield-100252-19516474/

Sensational images demonstrating visionary design. It's the standard the city as a whole has to pitch at.