The Baby Bulldozer

I have just traversed the consourse of Liverpool Street Station in London at rush hour. This is a major commuter terminus and is very busy in rush hour, with some dominant streams of people; streams that seem almost solid should you try and cross them.

At a macro level it looks like fluid moving, but on closer inspect there is a perpetual Brownian-like motion of individuals side-steppin this way and that and occassionally colliding. It is not "Brownian-like" as there is a purposeful direction for each person, not a random walk.

Across the main flow was a young woman navigating with a baby in a buggy. From a distance the waves of humanity just broke around her as she relentlessly moved across. Normally in the UK people are well mannered and do make allowances for mothers with young children. With a little patience the masses do the right thing.

This was different. The buggy was being used like a bulldozer or maybe an ice-breaker (as in the ships that navigate around the frozen poles of this planet). There was no eye contact, attempted or actual made by the mother, no implicit, unspoken "please" or "thank you" just a determination to traverse the shortest route to her destination no matter how it inconvenienced anyone else and put the young child in the collision zone as she followed on behind.

There were a few sharp glances and muttered curses, but life passed her by and continued on its way.

I am not quite sure why I blogged this, but it caught my attention and seemed worthy. While I can admire her foucs and determination I think society would be less if we all adopted that approach.

I will still dance around others as our paths cross, avoiding collision and smiling "sorry" or "thank you". I will give up my seat for those in greater need. I have have to remember that I am rapidly part of the older generation, but still feel 25 at heart and enjoy good health so giving up my seat to a young pregnant woman causes me no problem. I will still look to impart good manners to my daughter. That is what I can and will do; I hope others will do the same and not just live in their own small bubble and b*gger the rest.