Quotes

[coalescent]

Just because. The London News Review:

What the fuck do you think you're doing?

This is London. We've dealt with your sort before. You don't try and pull this on us.

Someone, via andrewducker:

Cultural differences

The responses by people today really highlight for me the differences between Americans and English people.

Americans: OMG! there's been a terroroist attack! My prayers are with you!!

English: London's been bombed. Shit. that means the tube is closed. I wonder if I can still make it into town tonite to see that play I have tickets for. Not to say this isn't upsetting or that people aren't worried. There's just a certain lack of melodrama.

Ken Livingstone:

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

Various:

Coping with emergencies the British way: The nearest branch of Pret has sold out of chocolate cake.

-

When the news reporter said "Shopkeepers are opening their doors bringing out blankets and cups of tea" I just smiled. It's like yes. That's Britain for you. Tea solves everything.
You're a bit cold?
Tea.
Your boyfriend has just left you?
Tea.
You've just been told you've got cancer?
Tea.
Coordinated terrorist attack on the transport network bringing the city to a grinding halt?
TEA DAMMIT!
And if it's really serious, they may bring out the coffee. The Americans have their alert raised to red, we break out the coffee. That's for situations more serious than this of course. Like another England penalty shoot-out.

-

It's hard to panic the British. They've dealt with the Blitz, the IRA, the Silurians, the Zarbi, the Daleks, the Cybermen...

Anonymous:

And for the London PoV on these attacks, well we get on with it. Trying to terrorise a city that lived with the constant threat of bombs for the best part of 30 years was a pretty stupid idea. And the swift, efficient response of the emergency services and lack of widespread chaos and panic shows that it was something that London was prepared for, in fact I'm suprised it hadn't happened sooner. I suspect by next week it will be pretty much business as usual, and for most of us all the excitement today will feel like a distant memory.

I'm not trying to belittle the memory of the 39 people who were murdered today, or the many hundreds injured. Families and friends will be in mourning for a long time to come, and my thoughts are with them. But I think London as a whole will refuse to be crippled by this, and will get up, dust itself off, and move forward as it always has done, indeed its started already. Outside the affected zones life pretty much continued as normal, I know it did here in West London at least. I think if the terrorists were expecting some kind of victory here in London today, they were sorely disappointed.

And as a final footnote, the tun still happened.

Comments

[tefkas.livejournal.com]

Well said, particularly a propos cultural differences.

For a squirm inducing American take on the attack, check out MediaMatters.org's report on a Fox News item, and how, gosh, actually, terrorist attacks might be good for us because they knock Aids and global warming off the G8 agenda...

[grahamsleight.livejournal.com]

I guess that if there's any blog on which to point out that the Zarbi never invaded London (let alone set mandible on Earth) it's this one?

Well said, but ...

[applez.livejournal.com]

with regards to the 'seaports, airports...'

I sincerely hope there isn't a depression in tourist numbers this summer. As it is, how many Underground lines are going to be continuously affected (and for how long) before the criminal evidence is gathered and repairs can begin?

(btw, we're at Threat Level Orange here...I'm not worried till it goes Fuschia! ;-p )

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen the London Review quote before, so thanks. I'd seen most of the rest by scrolling through metaquotes yesterday (you'll be unsurprised to learn that the "tea" quote is already avialable in icon form). I was quite touched by the view that others, particularly Americans, have of the way that this country is dealing with this shit. Sometimes it takes an objective view to make you realise that we're really *not* all running around like headless chickens, whatever else may be going on.

[deadcities-icon.livejournal.com]

Now if someone could just teach you bastards how to drink coffee once in a while, so visitors can have something instead of fucking tea all the time...

You need more Turks and Italians. They'll show you coffee.

Btw

[applez.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the Worldcon voting reminder, but I feel that I've read, seen, so few of the nominees, it would probably be wrong for me to vote for any of them. Oh well.

[kittynic]

Some brilliant quotes are coming out of the situation. Good to see it hasn't affected our sense of humour.

Oh and what's a 'tun?

[new-art-riot.livejournal.com]

Hello! I've intruded upon your journal because you list Truck festival as an interest and I've set up a community truckfestival to try and stimulate some pre-festival discussion/conjecture/rumour/bitching. Thank you!