Saturday 1 November 2008

Questions, questions.

We drove down to Zouch on the River Soar today when we were out and about and decided that this will be out next stop as it has a decent pub, good parking and good mooring. When Lisa goes to work on Monday we'll meet at Zouch later in the day. A change is as good as a rest but it is kind of comforting to be in the same place for a while but it will be wonderful to be on the move again.

I was interviewed by a person working for a company contracted to BW. She was carrying out a survey about the waterways but she was singularly the least knowledgeable person I have ever talked to about the canal system. The questions that she asked were also not in the slightest relevant to me as a boat dweller.

"Question thirty four. What is the purpose of your journey on this tow path today?"

"To empty the contents of my elsan into the disposal point just behind you."

"Elsan"

"Yes. Shit"

"Shit"

"Yes. I'm emptying three days worth of human waste into the sanitary station.

"Oh! I didn't realise that was there. Do you really have to do that?"

"No I don't but the boat will begin to smell if I don't and my partner will leave me."

"Oh!" Question thirty five. Where Have you come from today?

"That boat just behind me"

"Question thirty six. Who long do you intend to be on the tow path today?"

She had no idea that if you walked along the various tow-paths from here you could end up in London, Liverpool, Langley Mill or York depending on which one you chose.

How much money is wasted on this kind of rubbish. BW don't need to know why people are on the tow paths. They just have to maintain them so people can use them. It really doesn't matter why they are there. It does seem amazing that very few of the questions were applicable to me, a constant user of the canals.

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