London is home to 13 professional football clubs and managing the flow of fans on every match day is a huge logistical challenge, particularly on the one day of the year when the season's final Premier League matches kick off simultaneously. This year the challenge is even greater because tens of thousands of cyclists are descending on the capital for the annual Ride London event, and eight miles of city centre roads are now closed to traffic.
Adding to that, numerous train cancellations due to engineering works and delays caused by track-side incidents add pinch-points and are stretching a system that is on the verge of being seriously overcrowded at any moment. For staff at south-west and south-east London stations exuberant and rowdy supporters bring back bad memories of serious misbehaviour, including staff being pushed off platforms and on to rail-tracks. Will this be another bad year for staff on TfL's front-line?
Altogether less abrasive, but just as excitable, is the experience of DLR staff at Pudding Mill Lane. Here the chances of over-exuberant passengers is guaranteed. But these are voracious ABBA fans going to see a show by the eponymous Swedish pop gods' avatars, delivering their greatest hits, so station staff are more likely to be leading a sing-song than stopping a ding-dong.
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