In Praise of Jobsworths

[steepholm]

Just back from London, where preparations for the impending five-ring circus are well under way. It's all rather dispiriting, actually. I was nowhere near the Olympic site, but the whole city seems to have been transformed into a giant billboard for large corporations to preen themselves upon, while the populace shuffles wearily past in a never-ending security queue that encircles the capital much like the Midgard Serpent.

I believe there will also be some people playing games, over Stratford way. I hope it's all worth it, but the overall impression is of joyless micromanagement uncompensated for by any concomitant efficiency, except in the matter of brand protection.

I don't much like officialdom at its most officious, as you will probably gather - but there are occasions when I feel moved to cry, "Well done, that jobsworth!" London is currently up in arms about the man who shut off the sound system when a recent concert in Hyde Park was about to breach the terms of its licence by overrunning. The papers, Boris Johnson, and every bandwagon-jumper in sight seem to be piling in on this poor man, but personally I have a lot of sympathy for him. I've been kept awake by too many all-night parties to feel that loud music should always take precedence over peace and quiet, and I doubt whether the parents of young children in the vicinity of Hyde Park were too devastated about the licence agreement being enforced either. If they wanted to play loud music into the night, why do it in the centre of a densely populated area? Has Lincolnshire no muddy fields?

I really doubt whether there'd have been the same fuss had the concert been given by, say, Jessie J or Labrinth, to say nothing of one of the less well-known young beat combos at work today. I suspect it's because the musicians involved were Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, bygone icons of an era when Boris Johnson and the leader writers were young, that so much ire has been stirred up. Some people are apparently peddling the line that they should have rebelliously played on and paid the £14,000 fine (I think that was the figure), a suggestion that brought to mind the image of the rich woman parking her Chelsea tractor on the double yellows outside the supermarket, and saying contemptuously to the hovering traffic warden - "Ticket me - I can afford it."

There is such a thing as Sticking it to the Man - but that ain't it.

Comments

[kalypso]

I was there on Saturday, and managed to dodge most of it, except that both times I went through Euston station they were piping Boris Johnson through the PA system. No idea what he was going on about. And it was pouring with rain, which was annoying, as it had been a lovely sunny morning when I left Manchester and there was a fine sunset in progress when I got back, with every sign that the weather had been rather good in between.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Have you heard the Boris as Big Brother announcements on King's Cross station?

I was there last monday and there was much rolling of eyes..........

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Forunately, Paddington seems to have spared it, so far. Perhaps they felt one bear was enough?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the dreadful Wenlock (or Mandeville) statue by the Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

No - I'm sorry/glad to say I haven't! Is this in honour of Dr Penny-Brookes?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what it's in honour of, but I don't like it!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

And from the genius who gave the word 'jobsworth' to the english language:

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Ah, whatever did we do before?

ETA - Actually, I think the previous phrase was "tin Hitler". But whatever did we do before that?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Having been back to the county of my birth recently, I can confirm that Lincolnshire does, indeed, have some very muddy fields.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

True story. Berlin 1945 and the breakout from the bunker. None of the officers were of less than Field Marshall rank. Get to a tunnel door and bang on it. Herr Jobsworth refuses entry. "Not properly authorised. Can't be done without Form 111 in triplicate signed by my boss" Much waving of pistols at little man who promptly shuts door and goes off duty. Another exit had to be found!!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

There's something truly heroic about that. Horatius at the bridge, eat your heart out!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

We were discussing this post over breakfast and my other half reminded me of a statement attributed to Lenin, that if the German comrades decided to make a revolution by storming a railway station, they'd buy platform tickets first......

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My sympathies lie with the Jobsworth too.

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

I suspect it's because the musicians involved were Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, bygone icons of an era when Boris Johnson and the leader writers were young, that so much ire has been stirred up.

I think it is, but not necessarily the 'when the writers were young', because I am one of the ones who was all, 'WAIT THEY DID WHAT?' and both of these guys were big before I was even born. ;)

But there are moments that are special, that I think ought to get a little dispensation, or at least the chance to play out, and Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney playing 'Twist and Shout' is probably one of them. It's a matter of opinion, of course; if one isn't quite so in awe of Springsteen's entire catalogue as I am, they may well disagree. Then again, he remains an icon. When Jesse J or whoever has been awesome for as many decades as the Boss and Sir Paul, maybe they'll deserve a Moment too. And really, it was only 10:30--pub traffic in that area is louder for longer, and much less annoying. If it had been midnight or 1 am, that too may be different.

I'm still just bitter I wasn't able to get tickets; by the time I found out about it they'd all been sold out.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I'm not that in awe of Springsteen, though I hear he was quite an amazing live act back in the day (as were McCartney and friends even further back). At this point, though, it's about nostalgia as much as anything, surely? (I'm sure Jessie J is regarded as awesome by the people who regard her as awesome, too!)

But if there's blame to be dispensed for not letting this special moment happen, why is none of it going to the people who mistimed the concert so that it overran?

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

He's apparently still a pretty amazing live act; my sister saw him last year and said it was the best concert she'd ever been to. (I'm sure Jessie J is regarded as awesome too, but there's still a certain amount of time that has to pass before one can really be considered iconic. Less nostalgia, more longevity.)

I don't know; I don't really understand having a concert only licensed till 10:30 anyway, though I get it's a residential area.

[sheenaghpugh]

NOTHING should go on past 10.30 in a residential area! Workers, parents, schoolchildren are all entitled to their sleep. As steepholm says, it should never have been put on in such an area in the first place but once it had been, then people's sleep needs had to come first.