Moonlighting and moaning
Page 47
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Seeing a London Transport uniformed employee frantically thumbing at a bus stop on the borders of Kent last week I did not (as I might have done) cry touché, but charitably stopped to offer a lift. The result was fascinating—especially as he had no idea who I was.
"Got to get to B garage in 15 minutes to take out a service," he said.
I told him he couldn't make it, even if I was going all the way there, which I wasn't. What had held him up ?
" Been to see about a job, haven't I ?"
"Oh, leaving LT ?" " No! That's the bread; been to see about a bit of part-time butter with B Transport. Nice fleet, plenty of work. Going back tomorrow to fix it."
How, I asked, did he propose to fit in what I guessed (knowing the company mentioned) were works or schools services, with his peak-hour splitshift for LT?
" Yes, that's difficult, but he's got some jobs that should fit. Different from that other lot I've been working for. Huh ! Expect you to work for nothing."
It turned out that "that other lot " was a small local operator on the Kent/London border. For the next five minutes my LT friend bent my ear about the unreasonableness of the hours that this small operator offered him, "How does he think I can work that in with my LT schedules?" he asked in an aggrieved tone.
He was still moaning about everyone else's unreasonableness when I dropped him where I turned off, still at least 15 minutes from his destination !