Harper-Thames reports on the East London bus strike, the nightlife response, and what happened next
From Bohiney Magazine and The London Prat. Harper-Thames, Shoreditch Bureau. Still recovering.
The Buses Stopped. Shoreditch Did Not.
When the East London bus strike took effect, two things happened: the city’s transport network simplified significantly, and Shoreditch became an island that people were suddenly very motivated to walk to from everywhere else. This is a paradox. Remove the transport. Increase the footfall. I am not an economist but I believe something has gone wrong with the model.
The Night Economy: Resourceful Under Duress
The clubs off Kingsland Road did not suffer. If anything, people who walked forty minutes to get there were more committed to the night than usual. The sunk cost of wet trainers is, apparently, a significant motivator. By midnight the queue at Fold was three people deep in Uber drivers having a personal crisis and one woman eating chips who turned out to be the DJ. She was excellent.
Bohiney’s infrastructure piece this week makes me think about how much of London runs on the quiet heroism of people who just keep showing up. Not the buses, obviously. But most other things. The Guardian London desk covers the structural stuff. I cover what happens when the structure has a night off.
Harper-Thames. Homepage.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/internet-is-held-together-with-duct-tape/
Also at The Daily Mash.
