Keep on the right

One of the things I like most of going to London, and England in general, is people’s manners. A perfect place to prove them is the underground. There are two concepts that people respect: ‘Keep on the right’ and ‘Let people out before you get in’. I hardly recommend you that you see how in Barcelona a lot of people do not respect any of them.

I remember the first time I caught the underground in London I was pretty impressed because of people’s behaviour. You could see to perfect lines: one in the right for people that preferred to stand still and other in the left foe people in a hurry or who liked to walk. Since then I remember these four words every time I get in the underground: ‘Keep on the right’. What I really liked is that everybody respected and did what it said.

The other important concept is letting people out before getting in. People on the platform waited patiently until the whole wagon was emptied. They knew that the train wouldn’t leave without them. That also caught my attention because it is not very usual here in Barcelona.

Unlucky, here in Barcelona we have much to learn. Every morning when I catch the underground, I have to avoid people on the stairs that are not able to understand how things should work. I don’t think it is so difficult to do two lines in the stairs, but, for the look of it, it’s more than I thought. ‘Keep on the right’, I think. Four clear words. Are they so difficult?

This disturbs me a lot, but what really annoys me is when you are waiting to get in or out of the train. There are a lot of people waiting on the platform that don’t usually wait to get in and there is another amount of persons that pushes you when you are letting people get out.

I have to say that I try to keep on the right when I have to and that I let people get out of the wagon when I am waiting outside. I don’t understand that people can be in a hurry, but sometimes you have to be patient o make things work right.

Healthy cigarettes

For the past few years, there has been a great campaign against smoking. Some time ago, all different countries banned people smoking in bars, restaurants, hospitals, offices, etc. I think, and most of people do, that is has been a very great decision for everybody. You can breathe healthier, the smoke doesn’t disturb you when you are having your dinner or your clothes don’t smell horrible when you get back home.

Smoking is not a good habit. Most of the smokers know it and they try to stop smoking. There are different techniques: books, therapy, etc. However, now there is one that has the lead: electronic cigarettes.

Every day you see more people with this device in their mouth. Many smokers consider that it is good for them and that it helps them. I think that it is important that people have the willpower to try to stop smoking. But, is this option really healthy?

There are many studies and articles that confirm that even though is not as bad as a nicotine cigarette, thins kind of devices could cause problems. In this study you can read some interesting conclusions and in this other we can find some different questions without a clear answer. Here you can read a bit more of information about this device. Obviously, there are other articles that point out the benefits of electronic cigarettes like this one from the BBC. It looks like this debate doesn’t have a proper answer.

Meanwhile, the industry of electronic cigarettes is growing every day. You can find different type of these devices (even RCD Espanyol has one in their shops) and every day you can see more exclusive shops where they shell this article. Near where I live, I have seen three different shops in a distance of 15 minutes walking.

I presume that in a few years, this industry will not be so successful. I am sure that these shops will close when, finally, somebody banishes the electronic cigarette. Of course, for the time being and due to all the financial problems it is a very good option to make money. However, I don’t think they will last forever.

And what say about electronic cigarette consumers? I have to admit that, probably, is better to ‘smoke’ this device than one of nicotine. The problem for me is that maybe it can be healthier but is not a real solution for this habit. People that use electronic cigarette still have an addiction; they need it to calm their anxiety. I think this is a point of view that people haven’t considered much and it is important too. It is not only about finishing smoking, is it about creating health habits and I don’t think that electronic cigarettes do.

Phone calls on the plane? No, thank you!

Flying is an activity that allows us a deep analysis of human behaviour. Since you get up to catch the flight, how people act in the queues or inside the plane, when they get off it or they collect their suitcases. I have many things to say about that, but I will wait for another post.

One of the things I like about flying is that the aircraft is a quiet space. Most of the people are in silence during the trip, trying to sleep, read or preparing their meeting o whatever thing they are going to do when they arrive to the final destination. Some of them talk between them but without disturbing, normally, the rest of the passengers. In this sense, people have a good behaviour. 

However, in the next months, this could change. A few days ago I listen on the radio a piece of news that caught my attention. European Commission (EC) has given permission for use of 3G and 4G mobile phones, tablets and computers above 3,000m (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/15/europe-in-flight-calling-3g-4g-mobile-broadband) . After having a look on the Internet, I found that U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing phone calls on flights (http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/21/travel/fcc-cell-phones-flights/). No, please!

Do you imagine a flight with hundreds of people speaking on there cell phone? It will be terrible! A quiet space like an aircraft will turn in a place worst than a bar! To defend this idea, they say that most of the people use their cell phones to write and send e-mails, chat or send messages; not to phone. Maybe it is true. I can buy this argument. But if you allow people to phone on the plane you will get hundreds of stupid calls? “I am arriving in 5 minutes” o “What are we having for dinner?”, could be some examples. 

Speaking once to a colleague that just to work as an air hostess, she told us that really you could use your phone on the plane without causing any accident, but that they prefer to keep it in secret so people didn’t start phoning. I totally support this idea! I prefer it like this!

At the end we will only have the churches to be in peace and without anybody speaking on the phone near you.

A new project

I have been working as sport journalist for more than 13 years. First of all, writing for different newspapers and a news agency and, in the last years, for RCD Espanyol’s press department. I really like my job and I think I am very lucky. 

However, lately, I have got tired about writing and talking about the same subjects and stuff. I need a space where I can write about my ideas, my thoughts. That is the reason I think this blog will help me to achieve my aim and it will help me to improve my English.

One of the things I like more is going out running. I like to do some sport every day to try to keep fit, but this is not the only reason. While I run, I think, I observe, I imagine. When I get back home, I usually arrive with many ideas, histories in my head. 

I have forgotten many of them, because I never spent the time to put them down on a piece of paper or posted them in a blog. I think it is a shame, because I had good stories. Since I was a child, I liked writing but I haven’t been very constant.

I think this a big opportunity to try something new that will be good for me. I want to improve my English and I am sure that this project will help me. I have tried to start a blog before and I haven’t been able to keep it updated. 

I hope this time is different and that I have the willpower to write once or twice a week. And, of course, I hope you find my thoughts and histories interesting for you.