The idiosyncrasies of London

Whilst travelling there are always little things that occur that have you scratching your head and saying "What is going on.....?"  and London is no exception.

1. What happened to the colour of the BLACK London cabs? Now they come in every colour imaginable or covered in advertising! That doesn't seem right.

2. Today we visited Marks and Sparks and we both bought some knickers because that's what you do in Marks and Sparks. However, I declined the offer of a plastic bag, at which point the man serving me looked  a little worried and then wrapped them in a piece of brown paper. Heaven forbid that I should expose my new undies to the unsuspecting public! Ewan on the other hand, also declined a plastic bag and there was no offer to wrap his in brown paper. Does this mean that women's undies are likely to cause a riot but men's are not? I'm still pondering this one........All suggestions gratefully received

3. One of the election platforms for one of the political parties was that admission to public Museums and Galleries would be free: a noble thought we would all agree. However upon entering any of these institutions it is soon obvious that it's not completely free at all. Most provide 'free' maps but ask for a donation of a pound. Then there's the Donation boxes strategically placed in the middle of the entrance with signs informing you that a 3 pound 'donation' is required. If you purchase a ticket for a special exhibition then there are two prices : one including a 'voluntary' donation which adds a few pounds to the price and one without the donation. So of course you would feel an absolute cheapskate if you opted for the price without the donation so you pay it. And it is only a few pounds so there really isn't any reason to grizzle but it doesn't quite meet the definition of free....or almost free maybe?

Finally there are donation boxes everywhere requesting you donate in order to keep whatever the institution free. I admit I am confused!










4. There is a dilemma when it comes to working out which side of the footpath/escalator/Tube tunnel one should be walking. As it is Europe then everyone stays on the right especially on the long Tube escalators and there are frequent signs reminding you to do so. Only once did I Ewan stand on the left blocking the passage for someone in a hurry!
However the traffic stays on the left as opposed to other European countries who drive on the right. And then we were walking through one of the Tube tunnels where there was a sign saying 'To avoid congestion please walk on the LEFT' (!) Seriously just when you think you've got into the swing of things and avoided abuse by intense Tube travelers then the rules change!
The big question , of course, is whether once Brexit occurs, the Brits will stick to the left and forgo the European stance of everything on the right?? We will wait and see about that one!

I'm sure there are lots of other idiosyncrasies that will occur to me so I may continue to add them to this list!

your confused and befuddled correspondent

Dianne