Successful pilot - my arse!

Today, at Liverpool Street, I found my normal route to work blocked. Something was going on underground and access to the tubes was closed.

Having encountered this before I resigned myself to the stroll through Finsbury Circus and a dip down into the depths of the Northern Line at Moorgate to emerge at Euston for the walk to Mornington Crescent.

The last time I'd done the walk from Euston I'd emerged on the wrong side of Euston. The route was lined with shopfronts obscured with brown paper, newspaper or paint hiding the porn shops and massage parlours. Today I decided to try the west side of Euston in the hopes it might be a little more pleasant and less intimidating.

It looked promising and as I walked north I spotted a park that would provide me with a cut through.

As I entered St. James' Gardens from Cardington Street I noticed there was an exit in Hampstead Road which was just perfect.

As I walked through the park I noticed it was empty and did have a flicker of worry about my safety but it was an open park and I could see my exit so I didn't worry unduly.

As I moved towards the gates at Hampstead Road they seemed to be shut, but as these were large double gates I just assumed that there was a smaller gate that would be open but that must be out of sight.

As I got close to the gates it was clear there was no other exit and that the gates were padlocked shut. I was in a dead end with no exit and I no longer felt at all safe.

There was a note on the gates. During July and August the council had conducted a successful pilot and as a result, the gates to Hampstead Road were to be closed until further notice.

What pilot? And what were the measures of success? And what was the reasoning behind the whole pilot anyway?

Less litter? Maybe fewer people are now using the park.

Less crime? Ditto.

No complaints? Maybe nobody could be bothered to complain because it doesn't achieve anything or maybe it's because the first telephone number they listed doesn't work.