I think I mentioned yesterday that I was on the early shift, 7am start, which means I have to catch the 6.30am bus from the park and ride, meaning leaving the house by 5.55am at the latest. Hubby was on a early bus, second of the day I think, so was signing on (what bus drivers do when they go to work - lets the bus company know they have turned up, and means their module will work) at 4.30am, so early start for both of us!!! Anyway, all went to plan I and got the bus (double decker for me, the driver and one other passenger) and I got to work for 6.45am.
First piece of bad news is that the hot water boiler is still broken. We have a little kitchen area in our office, sink, fridge, toaster, microwave and instead of a kettle, a water boiler. This means we always have boiling water on tap..........good when you drink the amount of coffee I do. However, the boiler broke last week - 9th November, and I got to work this morning to find despite the promise that it would be fixed by Thursday this week, it hasn't been. Now not only does this seriously limit my caffeine consumption, but in order for us to get hot water we now have to go to the night kitchen, which it the other side of the briefing room and at least six sets of doors you have to negotiate with a cup of boiling water. Not good on the health and safety front.
I went off to get my first cup of coffee before the night turn left and then I settled down to have my breakfast and read my emails. First disaster................had taken two slices of bread to work to have toast and I knew I had a jar of marmite in my locker. Unfortunately said marmite was rather hard, impossible to spread (bit on the old front), but never mind, touch of water and then melt it in the microwave and there disaster struck. I took my eye of it for a few seconds.....the PEC called and when I went back to it, the marmite had erupted all over the microwave. There was hardly even any left in the pot so I basically ended up with dry toast for breakfast, that and the fact I seemed to manage to get marmite on everything!!!
Then after two days at Cowley without as single TA (unheard of), it is just 8am when the door opens and in walks a bus driver. In Oxford that will only means two things generally..........lost property or TA..........and yeap, you've guessed it TA, non stop! Was about to start the paperwork when he confessed it had been at Heathrow...........yippee. Now we have a bit of a love hate relationship with the Met. General consensus is they are arrogant and lazy...........and I am sure they think the same about us. Basically if you are a victim of crime, you have to report it to the force where the crime happened. So, you have your purse stolen in London, you have to report it in London, not Oxford, as we are not going to investigate a crime that happened in London. Obviously there is some cross over, and if push really comes to shove, you can make a report in another area, then the control room will pass the details, but generally it is easier all round if you report it direct yourself. So TA at Heathrow is the Met's problem, not ours!
Anyway, with the relief of not having to fill in the wretched TA I explained to the bus driver he could go onto the Met's website and get the forms from there as they allow self reporting........and then feeling helpful (suppose I have to be nice to the 'brotherhood' now, as hubby has joined) I even printed them off for him, told him which bits to fill in and gave him the address, but suggested that he give it to another driver who was going up to Heathrow and get them to drop it in at Heathrow police station. Relief was short lived as not long after in walked a pedestrian who had been hit by a car, and although the car driver had stopped, even driven the lady home, it was an injury TA and so we have to take a report even though it goes no where - bugger!!
There after followed several sessions of viewing the CCTV for various reasons, and by the time the middle turn arrived about 9.45am I was quite grouchy............no proper breakfast and only one cup of coffee. Not good!
I am pleased to say the day did improve. but I hope I don't have a morning like that again in a hurry...........better buy a new jar of marmite I guess.
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