Lockdown
Observations from London: there’s an American primary school around the corner from our apartment. On my usual morning walk to the tube station on the way to work, I discover the route between the station and the school is lined by security guards. One every few yards—all with high-visibility jackets and radio equipment.
I was working away from the city today. As my train shuffled slowly out of Waterloo and along the south bank of the Thames, I noticed every flag in view at half-mast. Atop government, private and public premises, our emblem of empire is lowered as a mark of respect to the thousands of American civilians who have died at the hands of terrorists.
This evening, as I look out over west London from our balcony, I see no planes. Usually, the two main flight paths from the east into Heathrow are clearly visible on either side of us—two lines of aircraft, one every two minutes. Now, there are none.