Strike 3! You're OUT!

Strikes, strikes, strikes. This year has been a year of strikes. Some months ago, we had the SAS cabin crew who refused to go to work until their demands were met. Now, since yesterday, we have some bus drivers going on strike as well. It will end only on Friday at the earliest, since the "negotiation meeting" this morning was not successful.

Airline cabin crew goes on strike = cancelled flights = frustrated passengers.
Bus drivers go on strike = cancelled buses = frustrated Sheila.

I normally take a direct bus to work. It is a 35 min journey, but it is at least direct and hassel-free with minimum walking time. I have several other bus/train options that I can try too, but they are neither direct nor hassel-free, and besides, they all take around the same time anyway. When you live in a cold country with the dreaded winter season, you'd appreciate having a direct bus to and from work.

Anyway, as luck would have it, MY PRECIOUS DIRECT BUS TO WORK IS ON STRIKE!!! Well ok, the bus itself is not on strike, but the bus drivers who drive "my" bus belong to the union that is on strike. Man, that was a mouthful; it was faster to just say "my bus is on strike" since all you smart people reading my blog will know what I mean ;o).

So yeah, there are around 40 bus numbers affected by this, and most of those which I could have tried to use as alternatives are amongst the "strikers". "Hmm...maybe I can take this bus instead...oh, it's on strike too... . How about this one? Oh, no go... . Hey, how about...oh, forget it! I'll just call in 'sick' to work then!"

Oh well, I was late by ½hr at work yesterday because I didn't know about the strike. Martin didn't inform me about it even though he had left earlier for work (normally with the same bus number I take). He said he had FORGOTTEN (he and his short term memory). However, I have no excuse to be late for work now until Friday, so I am trying out various possible alternatives to get to work, which means I have to give myself ½hr of "buffer" time in case of unforseen delays on the new routes I try.

Yesterday's way of getting to work is definitly out of the question since it involved 2 different buses, a train transfer and a ½hr walk from the central station all the way to my office. HALF AN HOUR'S WALK! That's far too much just for getting to WORK. If I spend ½hr to walk around the mall to shop, then it's a different thing. Would not even mind TWO hours for that ;o).

So I tried a different way this morning. I just needed to take 1 bus, and there was a 20 min walk involved with parts of it through a park. This way wasn't as bad as yesterday's walk and multiple transport transfers. Unfortunately, 20 mins of walking is still too long for me, and if it was raining as much as it has been lately, then the compulsory walk through the muddy park would have been a damper.

The "winner" will be the way I took home this evening. It involves 2 different buses, and the total journey time from our apartment door to my office door is about the same, but the walking time is "just" a little under 10 mins. Therefore, WINNER ;o)!

You (guys especially) might think I am being fussy about the walking, but I can tell you that:

1. Heals are NOT meant for long distance walking.
2. Heals are NOT EVEN meant for short distance walking in Copenhagen!

Here's what I mean:

My lovely shoe...

Walking innocently down the streets of Copenhagen...

Gets beaten up like this!

And eaten up alive like this!

Every time my shoes get stuck between the cobbled stones, not only do they get damaged, but I also get pulled back a little such that I might seem like someone with a sudden body spasm or something. Not very elegant... .

Whoever came up with the idea of cobbled streets was in high probability someone within the male species... . And strikes should be banned!!! Grrr... .