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Gene Robinson writes:
In one of those divinely humorous coincidences, our travel route from Canterbury and through the jam-packed traffic of London took us around Buckingham Palace, just at the precise moment that bishops and spouses were streaming off their coaches and into the Palace, for tea with the Queen.
Now go and see Peter Ould’s map.
Heh.
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I am LOVING the shot they presumably went for. Bishop Gene, the people’s bishop, looking plaintive, excluded by armed guards and enormous steel gates. I picture him looking through the wrought iron fence as the other bishops enter the palace. “What are they so scared of…” (or some such) has to be the line. Of course one could think of other, wittier lines involving elderly female monarchs… |
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Presumably, there’s someone at Canterbury who knows how to reconsecrate this ancient holy place. A sulphur-based incense, no doubt. Kudos to those who refused to allow videotaping of his going in, or what he did when inside. For more details, take a look at the link to VGR’s blog site. I assume his driver merely got lost in central London. That’s easy to do. If I’m not mistaken, they followed the Queen’s parade route from the palace to Victoria. Hmmmm. |
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It has always seemed to me from his writings and interviews, (although admittedly I have never met the man) that Gene Robinson is a very, very angry individual. And he has been for a very long time. I’m not denying his right to be angry; his life has not been all roses. But the gentle personna is just kind of creepy. |
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This could be funny if it were true. In fact, route (1) isn’t even possible (unless he was in a black taxi or on a london bus) and a terrible choice (it goes along Oxford Street, which has awful traffic). Route (2) isn’t possible because it involves going West along Piccadilly, which you can’t do. Route (3) is actually the obvious and sensible route west. |
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At the risk of being totally snarky, you missed the best part of his post. Vis a’ vis his “chance encounter” with the Bishops Brigade he noted:
You think he means to borrow it? But after the detour by Buckingham Palace, he writes of his arrival at his true destination:
huh?
Don’t cry for Me, Argentina, Australia, or Africa
Can you imagine loving someone so much that you would scour the streets of London in order to find the exact shade? Truly humbling. Please excuse me a moment, I’m all verklempt…Tito, do you have a tissue?
For no, he was not just a poor little matchgirl, gazing in longingly in at the bright festivities and the warm toasty fire, he was actually on his way to do some social work, hugging people who had been treated BADLY (can’t exactly call them sick or dying, as that’s generally no longer the case with HIV/AIDS) by people with an INHUMAN PREJUDICE, and had a MUCH better time, thankyouverymuch. |
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I’m surprised he didn’t get out of the car and cling to the palace fence shrieking, “But I’m the only queen who matters here!” Seriously, this man is so devoid of dignity that it’s truly pathetic. As I used to incredulously ask my female students who were fist-fighting over a skinny adolescent boy, “You’re tearing each other apart over HIM?” |
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In the US so much funding has been appropriated for HIV/AIDS that anyone with the disease who lacks the resources for treatment, can get it for free. We’ve come a long way from the days when because people were rightfully afraid of what is a terrifying illness, and reacted from that fear, because they weren’t better informed. What I find inhuman (too bad Gene Robinson’s so self absorbed that he could care less) is the discrimination against American citizens who aren’t poor enough for medicaid, but are poor enough that they can’t afford supplemental or other health insurance when they are critically ill and have no way to get the health care they need. My husband needed an organ transplant, lost his job (and health insurance) when his employer found out. I fought for two years, got him on medicare as he was disabled by his illness, but it no longer provides any access to the doctors the critically ill desperately need. He died in ‘06 from a lymphoma that would have been survivable had he been diagnosed even a few years earlier. The inhumanity of focusing solely on a single illness, to the detriment of so many more citizens needs is inhumane. Improving HIV/AIDS care was demanded by a majority of citizens, not only the homosexual community.. what is truly appalling is the fact that those like Robinson wouldn’t consider returning the favor and being activist for the poor. He exploits those he visited so he can again beat his breast and act as though he bore their burdens. His idea of aid to Africa, is supporting something that only exploits the poor in that continent. I do not believe his claims of caring and compassion, because he’s shown himself to be vain and wrapped up in himself and his agenda. |
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No kidding…...I saw Donna Scarf at the interviews for bishop. A sharp lady. Bet she looked great. That being said. Why is it that when we Americans go abroad we try to act like the natives. I’ll bet every female, whether bishop or bishop’s wife, had on their hats…...I was told prior to going to Paris that I shouldn’t wear tennis shoes as everyone would know I was an American…my answer was that I wanted comfort and I wanted them to know I was American…..spending my money in their country. Yep, just wanted to let you all know I went to Paris…....and loved every minute…..just lightening up the blogs as well…....................forgive me….. |
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Hold on, folks. If he was coming from Canterbury, why would he go through central London to get to a place west of Notting Hill? Wouldn’t he have most likely come up from the south? If he tried to avoid the Central London Congestion Charge, he would have used the Free Through Route which passes behind Buckingham Palace. If the Bishops and their spouses were offloading on the sides of the palace (Constitution Hill or Buckingham Palace Road, he could well have seen them. A bunch of if’s, I know. But they do introduce some doubt here, so I will not call this one a gotcha. Not yet, at least. |
Be careful when you give that signal. Sarah hasn’t stepped in but as a Get Smart fan she would reognize the danger…. See Start to 3:07 of here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC6mEjlaAdM |
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Red Stick Rant has the postcode to the CARA Trust where the HIV shindig was, so I was able to run it through a route planner. The journey comes very clearly out as coming into Westminster over Vauxhall Bridge Road, passing through Victoria and then up the back of Buck Palace. There is absolutely *no* way they would have seen the bishops offloading *unless* they made the detour to have a look. That’s with the AA. With the RAC route planner the journey comes in from the southwest and doesn’t even go close to Buck Palace. There’s a fantastic interactive map here to check it out. |
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Three points, Peter: (1) Most London drivers would tell you that these route planners are not reliable for “inner London driving”; they don’t take adequate account of traffic. Most of us who do drive frequently in London have our own preferred routes, which are often quite different (and, in practice, quicker!) than those recommended by a satnav or piece of software. (2) For the particular route in question, I’d say that it would be perfectly reasonable (and probably quicker) to take the A2 to New Cross, and at the point where it divides (one part going to Peckham, the other towards the Old Kent Road) to take the Old Kent Road branch. That would take you up to the Elephant and Castle. FWIW, that’s what I’d do if I was driving, because Peckham is a hell hole (not that the Elephant is much fun!). At that point there are more choices. Probably the best would be over Westminster Bridge. At that point it would be perfectly sensible to nip into Birdcage walk and go across the front of the Palace up Constitution Hill and over to Hyde Park corner, since the traffic tends to move more freely on those roads anyway. (The alternatives from the Elephant would be: over Waterloo Bridge, along the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Mall ... or over Lambeth Bridge, Horseferry Road, across Victoria Street, Constitution Hill. Either of those routes would take you in front of the Palace.) I certainly WOULDN’T advise anyone to sit on the South Circular, which seems to be what the RAC advise! That is the classic “non-Native route”: it looks OK on the map, but it’s horrible to drive. (3) Under no circumstances would any possible approach from the South East take you along either Oxford Street (your Route 1)—which, Mari, is closed except to buses and taxis—or Piccadilly (your Route 2), which has no Westbound traffic except buses between Piccadilly Circus and Pall Mall. In other words, both the routes that your blog says are the “fast” and obvious ones are not only slow, they are actually impossible. Of course I can’t prove that Robinson didn’t say to his driver ... “Can we go past Buckingham Palace, please.” (Or that his driver thought it would be fun to take a scenic route, to show his guest the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc.) But I really don’t think there’s any objective reason to suppose that he did ... and certainly not on the basis of the map you originally posted. |
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1. He could have taken multiple routes (it’s a big city). To our knowledge any one of them could be called reasonable. (Presumably one factor that makes a route reasonable is that it gets you to your destination on time). 2. By providence the good Bishop gets to Buck House with his camera man just as all the other bishops are unloading from their buses. 3. Again - all I can say is. Fancy that! God moves in mysterious ways. (And if there’s a videographer on hand to record the workings of divine mercy - all the better). |
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27 Comments •
Fancy that!