Dan.
this is bonkers and bizarre and I probably shouldn’t have done it but I am a country boy who just stays in the Big Bad City during the week so…
I left my large concrete-steel-and-smoked-glass office at about 12.30 to go to a meeting down on the Isle of Dogs.
Unusually I was going to drive down – normally I walk.
Drive down because I was going to stay on the Isle after the meeting, prior to driving in to the West End for an evening of food, fun and frolics.
So I left the office and made for the car park.
Part-way there a chap stopped me in the street.
“Excuse me, is there a supermarket around here?”
I told him the nearest was down on the Isle of Dogs.
“How far away is that?”
“It’s about half an hour on foot but I can get you there if you like?”
He looked as though he couldn’t believe it.
“What?”
“I’m going that way, I’ll give you a lift.”
“Well that’s very generous of you, thanks!”
We walked the 100 metres to my car, got in and we chatted as I drove.
Dan is from sarf London, temporarily working on the north side of the river on one of the many urban regeneration projects as a labourer.
In no time we got to Asda, he offered me profuse thanks again, shook my hand, said flattering things, got out and went on his way.
OK…
Yes, I’m prepared to admit that – in hindsight – my actions may well have been careless.
But what a world (city?) we now live in where just helping someone has so many cautionary tales attached.
We should be ashamed of ourselves for creating this society.
I am.
Brennig.