Jane Routley's Blog, page 6
July 5, 2015
Hallelujah! Its the unmanned stations!
While putting posters up at the unmanned stations this week, I tried to avoid making eye contact with the young man with a bottle of wine in his pocket who was staggering about under the station sign. Tried and failed.
“Miss Miss,” he cried and I cringed expecting something rude.
“Do you think anyone will know I’ve been drinking?” he asked.
That day the people in the control room were clearly in high spirits. After one announcement telling us that we were currently running a good service with all trains running on time, the faint strains of the Hallelujah Chorus could be heard in the background.
“Miss Miss,” he cried and I cringed expecting something rude.
“Do you think anyone will know I’ve been drinking?” he asked.
That day the people in the control room were clearly in high spirits. After one announcement telling us that we were currently running a good service with all trains running on time, the faint strains of the Hallelujah Chorus could be heard in the background.
June 18, 2015
It's hard to win
One of my workmates at the junction is annoyed. He thought to “friendly up” his announcements on a cold morning by telling everyone to try and keep warm on this chilly morning. A furious lady arrived at the ticket window complaining about having to endure such a disgustingly patronizing announcement when she was shivering in the freezing wind down on the platform. It’s hard to win sometimes.
Be kind to your customer service staff, people. They are just the messengers.
Be kind to your customer service staff, people. They are just the messengers.
June 4, 2015
Continuum 11
I’ll be attending Continuum 11 this Queens Birthday weekend.
I’ll be on panels about Sherlock Holmes, about whether we can forgive our favourite writers when they turn out to be horrible people, about whether we should remove the Golliwogs from Noddie and whats good in Comedy SF fiction.
I'll also be helping to launch Ticonderoga's new Anthology Hear me Roar.
which is full of Female Superhero stories, including one by me called Barista.
And I'll be joining the happy throng Welcoming Jason Nahrung to the Clan Destine Press family which his two vampire novels Blood and Dust and The Big Smoke.
How much can a Koala Bear.
If you see me there come up and say hello.
I’ll be on panels about Sherlock Holmes, about whether we can forgive our favourite writers when they turn out to be horrible people, about whether we should remove the Golliwogs from Noddie and whats good in Comedy SF fiction.
I'll also be helping to launch Ticonderoga's new Anthology Hear me Roar.
which is full of Female Superhero stories, including one by me called Barista.
And I'll be joining the happy throng Welcoming Jason Nahrung to the Clan Destine Press family which his two vampire novels Blood and Dust and The Big Smoke.
How much can a Koala Bear.
If you see me there come up and say hello.
They come in pods (like whales)
My station is being renovated at the moment and so I’m sharing a portable toilet with workmen. They are pleasant chaps and I was touched to find that they have put a big sign in the toilet saying “There is a lady who shares this toilet so please keep it clean.” Of course I in my innocence thought they were talking about puddles but a cynical male friends suggested they might be referring to porno pin-ups. (Even then I thought they were sweet to consider me.)
The renovation is due to the imminent arrival of Protective Services Officers to guard the station at night. PSO's come in pods like whales and apparently my office was not swish enough to be a pod for them. I was quite keen on the idea at first. I'm getting insulation in my toilets for goodness sake. (such luxury!!) However now they've decided to restump the room, rendering me officeless for the next month. Its mid-winter in Melbourne and 10 degrees in the wind. I'm becoming less keen by the icy minute.
The renovation is due to the imminent arrival of Protective Services Officers to guard the station at night. PSO's come in pods like whales and apparently my office was not swish enough to be a pod for them. I was quite keen on the idea at first. I'm getting insulation in my toilets for goodness sake. (such luxury!!) However now they've decided to restump the room, rendering me officeless for the next month. Its mid-winter in Melbourne and 10 degrees in the wind. I'm becoming less keen by the icy minute.
May 23, 2015
The portaloo man cometh
When the arrival of the Portaloo serviceman is the highlight of your day, you know you are having a boring shift at Zoo Station. We had a chat and I learned among other things that he calls his Sat. Nav. Gwen after his mother. After that things got a bit more interesting. The ticket machine maintenance man showed me pictures of the ants nest in one of the machines which keeps flicking the circuit breaker and stopping the machine.(They’re for the chop, poor heat-seeking insects)
I had to explain to two NZ tourists who’d managed to miss the stop twice that, no, just because there was a sign on doors saying they were power operated didn’t mean they opened automatically, only that they close automatically. Why is that sign there?
A group of uni students in animal onesies showed up to go to the zoo. (As you do) One 6 foot tall skinny guy was wearing a pink dinosaur onesie that left bare a huge expanse of calf between knee and runner. He looked so odd, I would have taken a photo of him, but I was down the platform helping a blind man find the right carriage.
And there you have the day’s highlights.
I had to explain to two NZ tourists who’d managed to miss the stop twice that, no, just because there was a sign on doors saying they were power operated didn’t mean they opened automatically, only that they close automatically. Why is that sign there?
A group of uni students in animal onesies showed up to go to the zoo. (As you do) One 6 foot tall skinny guy was wearing a pink dinosaur onesie that left bare a huge expanse of calf between knee and runner. He looked so odd, I would have taken a photo of him, but I was down the platform helping a blind man find the right carriage.
And there you have the day’s highlights.
May 16, 2015
Like a fish
I arrived at work on Monday to find the Graffiti Fairy has visited over the weekend. The outside of platform one and the waiting room were covered in tags. According to the G.F. “Lucca has a nice penis.” Judging by the accompanying picture, "nice" means it looks like a fish.
May 7, 2015
Heavy Metal Granny
Three generations of a family come into the station
The elderly lady is wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. I myself was a big fan years ago before Bon Scott died. But she’s older than me.
“I have to ask, are you an AC/DC fan?” I say
“Oooh yes” says she. “We’ve got tickets to the concert.” She waves at her son.
“Yes we’re big fans,” says the son. He gestures to the toddler he’s carrying. “That why he’s called Angus. After Angus Young.”
It’s lovely when families share interests, though not a lot of people go to rock concerts with their mother/grandmother.
The elderly lady is wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. I myself was a big fan years ago before Bon Scott died. But she’s older than me.
“I have to ask, are you an AC/DC fan?” I say
“Oooh yes” says she. “We’ve got tickets to the concert.” She waves at her son.
“Yes we’re big fans,” says the son. He gestures to the toddler he’s carrying. “That why he’s called Angus. After Angus Young.”
It’s lovely when families share interests, though not a lot of people go to rock concerts with their mother/grandmother.
April 22, 2015
Meet Donna Maree Hanson
I enjoyed Donna Hanson's interview questions so much I asked her to answer them herself.
Here's the interview
http://janeroutley.com/wp-admin/post....
ShatterwingDonna Maree Hanson
Here's the interview
http://janeroutley.com/wp-admin/post....
ShatterwingDonna Maree Hanson
April 18, 2015
Jinxed
An unlucky man turned up at my station on Friday. He’d taken the wrong train and found himself on the opposite side of the city from his intended destination. He’d wandered around in confusion for 7 minutes which was long enough to miss the return train to the city. 20 minutes is a long time to wait for the next train when there’s a chill wind driving soft clouds of drizzle across the park, so after some discussion he decided to call a cab. While waiting on telephone hold, he went down to the road to see if he could hail one and I went back to telling people that yes platform 1 is the side for Flinders Street.
Next thing I knew there was an almighty crump. A cab, slowing down to pick up the unlucky man, had been hit in the rear passenger door by a tram and there was shouting. No one was hurt, but now everyone had to wait for the police to attend. The unlucky man came back to the station just in time for the city train. I was almost expecting the train to break down, but whatever jinx was following him seemed to have been exorcised.
He was good humored about it. “At least you’ll be able to tell the folks at home you met an unlucky man today,” he said. So now I have.
Next thing I knew there was an almighty crump. A cab, slowing down to pick up the unlucky man, had been hit in the rear passenger door by a tram and there was shouting. No one was hurt, but now everyone had to wait for the police to attend. The unlucky man came back to the station just in time for the city train. I was almost expecting the train to break down, but whatever jinx was following him seemed to have been exorcised.
He was good humored about it. “At least you’ll be able to tell the folks at home you met an unlucky man today,” he said. So now I have.
April 15, 2015
Hosted by Jane Dougherty
This week I'm also doing a Guest Author Spot
on Jane Dougherty Writes.
https://janedougherty.wordpress.com/c...
Jane (good choice of name by the way) is an English woman living in France and author of The Green Woman a fantasy novel series. She also writes great one line stories based around paintings
on Jane Dougherty Writes.
https://janedougherty.wordpress.com/c...
Jane (good choice of name by the way) is an English woman living in France and author of The Green Woman a fantasy novel series. She also writes great one line stories based around paintings
