It was supposed to be a day of drudgery1 with millions facing lengthy2 commutes3 on crowded buses and packed cycle lanes. But the Tube strike hasn't been all bad, with some Londoners even benefiting from the chaos4 with free gifts.
每天,上百万人都要经历漫长的通勤,要么是在拥挤的公交,要么在水泄不通的自行车道,这的确是件苦差事儿!不过,地铁罢工也不全是倒霉事儿,毕竟一些伦敦人还因这场躁动获得了免费礼物。
Insurance firm Direct Line has set about 'fixing' commuters' travel-related problems by sending them stress-relief packages complete with
deodorant5,
scented6 sprays and bottled water. Contacting people on Twitter, the company also dished out
vouchers7 for Topshop, The Sunglass Hut and boxed up Pret-A-Manger lunches to brighten people's days. Among other gifts were bottles of aftersun to
soothe8 sunburnt limbs and boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
The gesture soon caught the attention of Twitter users with the hashtag #everydayfix gaining
momentum9. None of the gifts bore charges, to the delight of their many
recipients10.
Launched a month ago, the programme will seek out those they believe are in need of a fix online for a few days yet. While it is paying for each of the products a spokesman refused to reveal how much had been spent answering people's
woes11. 'We know how stressful everyday emergencies can be - those little things you don't plan. So we're extending our role as fixers to take care of the little things which can sometimes tip you over the edge.'
Other companies to have offered commuters special offers include breakfast company Belvita which offered workers free rides in Tuk Tuks with
complimentary12 snacks.
Fitness First invited anyone who had run, cycled or walked to work to use their gym showers to freshen up before heading into the office and encouraged others to become fit with free training sessions.