When a voice calls 'Inspector Sands', terror is never far away
by
Tom Utley *
[….]
People
of my parents' generation sometimes tell me that they quite enjoyed the Second
World War. In saying that, they are not belittling the sacrifice and suffering
of all those millions. What they mean is that there was a sort of excitement to
be had from living through those dreadful years. They had a sense of
perspective and of fellow-feeling that my generation hardly knows.
In a
very small way, the current war against terrorism may be bringing those
feelings back. For example, it must have been more than a year ago when I first
heard the announcement, on London Bridge Station: "Would Inspector Sands
please report immediately to the barrier at Platform 12."
The
surname struck me, because it also belongs to the revered Saturday editor of
this newspaper. Later that day, Inspector Sands was also wanted at the
ticket-office on Bermondsey station. The next day, he was wanted at Canary Wharf.
And at Victoria.
And at Blackfriars. Slowly, it dawned on me that "Inspector Sands"
must be a code-word for a security alert.
Today,
there can hardly be a single regular traveller on public transport in London who doesn't
realise that when the man on the Tannoy demands the urgent presence of
Inspector Sands, what he means is that the nearest officer from Special Branch
or the Bomb Squad should go immediately to the place specified.
We seasoned commuters look at each other and smile. And when we smile, we are telling each other this: "Aw, bless them! They are trying not to frighten us. But we know exactly what they mean. And still we are not scared."
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*
The Telegraph / Comment, November 22nd, 2003
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3599228/When-a-voice-calls-Inspector-Sands-terror-is-never-far-away.html
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