A major controversy has been raging in Sheffield for several months now.
You will be aware that Sheffield is (like Rome) built on seven hills (otherwise, it is not at all like Rome). One of those hills is behind Sheffield Midland Station. A footbridge, built through local taxation, passes through the station, linking people living up the hill with the town centre.
East Midlands Trains (a new franchise) decided some time ago this footbridge is an open invitation to fare dodgers and so proposed installing barriers open to ticket holders only.
To cut a long story short, the opposition to this proposal was pretty much universal and the council threw it out.
EMT went to the government and the plan was resurrected. So, a few weeks ago I joined a protest march across the footbridge.
We then heard that EMT and the government had withdrawn plans to close the footbridge although they reserved the right to erect temporary barriers. I imagined this would be chains of staff holding hands and capturing fare dodgers, in order to extract due recompense.
Imagine my horror, as I hobbled (sprained ankle) into the station this morning to discover the terrible truth ...
I understand Winston Churchill tried something similar during the second world war and it almost ended in tears. If EMT persists with these drastic measures they'll have another demonstration on their hands.
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