First strike - and they're all out!

Following on from yesterday's post, the strike by members of the RMT on the Tube really kicked in today, with services being decimated.
This meant long walk to work this morning and tonight - but hardly the disaster that was made out in the - sadly - much-read Evening Standard. It is the sister paper of the Daily Mail, so what do you expect, but the way in which this crap paper reported it made it out to be nothing less than another blitz.
This boy travelled from south east of the city to north west this morning - and what did this mean for Reidski? A 65 minute journey rather than one that takes 45 minutes! Hardly a problem.
And it was pretty much the same coming home.
We now await further developments.
Last word, for now, on the strike, though. This country's anti-trade union laws make secondary or sympathy action out of the question by those not involved. But when leading lights in other Tube unions - drivers' union ASLEF and the one people join because they know they will never be called upon to take action, TSSA - actively encourage strike breaking and tell members to take the opportunity to get some overtime in, people should know about it.
'er indoors, the boy and Reidski have been having theme dinners during the course of Euro 2004. Mousakka, Latvian potato salad, Croatian steak, Spanish chicken stew and good old fish n chips have all featured so far. Tonight, we will be mostly having Portuguese chicken piri piri - it promises to be hot and it promises to be tasty. I'm off to cook it.
Before I go, though, excitement of the wrong kind entered Reidski's world last night.
Kerfuffle was heard out front. Reidski thought: "Someone's gettting a kicking out there." Reidski runs out. Reidski finds bloke with blood streaming down face. Bloke's english isn't that great - and he was rather dazed and confused - and he hands phone to Reidski. Reidski tells police where to rush to and where to bring ambulance. Reidski thinks he sees muggers down road. Reidski wants to chase them. Reidski thinks better of it. Reidski waits with poor victim. Cops arrive. Ambulance arrives. Reidski gives statement. Reidski get back in his hoose. Reidski finds that the boy has handily placed his cricket bat in hall for defensive purposes (what a sweety the boy is). Reidski goes back to finishing George P Pelecanos's The Sweet Forever. Reidski thinks Pelecanos is one of the greatest crime fiction writers of all time. Reidski also thinks he gets really right wing when crime comes close to home. Reidski hopes that muggers get mugged and get a right kicking. Reidski knows that violence isn't the answer. But Reidski is a complex character and wants the muggers' head stamped on and balls kicked.
Reidski is now off to cook dinner.
Wow, that was one long post.