"Voices not Slogans"

I just missed the Dalston Junction Overground
Which meant I caught the London Bridge driver sound.
Not what you expect on a Sunday evening
When the trains are hardly heaving.
I heard it before, but thought it was an urban rumour
Grumpy train drivers with a sense of humour.
In a staged posh voice even plummier
Than a shelf of Sainsbury's jam
Accent worse than 'Hi-de-Hi!' ham
Pulling out of New Cross Gate:
"The buffet trolley offering hot and cold snacks
Assorted beverages alcoholic & non-alcoholic,
Is not available today"
I don't know if this is to the dismay
Of the fellow passengers around me
As all the seats around me are empty.
And the ghosts of the rush hour commuter
Cannot tut their disapproval.
Not that they would speak
If this was in the week
As showing any sign of normality
Is certainly not the done thing
Of a daily commute from the suburbs.
As it is...today
One can let their hair down
So I hear a peal of laughter
From someone over my shoulder
Acting rather bolder
Than someone buried
In their 'Metro' on a weekday morning.
Or maybe they usually drive into work
And simply don't know the rules.
Dulwich Poet 31st March 2013

(I got a train up to central London this evening. Very quiet, as it was a Sunday evening, & Easter Sunday to boot. The driver was clearly bored & tried to put a smile on passengers faces. The title of this poem comes from the announcement he made, as the train terminated at London Bridge: "Southern Railways making everyone's journey better. It's not a slogan it's a voice" )