Reuters Blogs

Oddly Enough Blog

News, but not the serious kind

14:00 April 2nd, 2009

I say, Barak! Don’t slam that screen door!

Posted by: Robert Basler
Tags: Oddly Enough, , ,

Blog Guy, in all your coverage of the G20 meeting in London, I was wondering. Have you ever been there?

Sure! At least I think so.

Can you give your readers a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like in such a totally different culture? What’s the biggest difference you’ve seen between the Americans and those English people?

That’s easy. Screen doors.

Excuse me, Blog Guy?

They don’t have them over there. Look here at this photo. That’s the British prime minister waiting outside 10 Downing Street for important world leaders to arrive. You’ll notice he doesn’t even have a doorknocker, much less a screen door, so he just has to wait there until folks show up.

But with an attractive aluminum screen door, he could leave that black door open, sit in his BarcaLounger in the living room, and get up when he sees some leader coming up the walk.

You’re right! Plus, he could see when Jehovah’s Witnesses were coming, and just slam the door!

Good point. Well, maybe readers will send him this blog, and he’ll get the right idea.

Escape reality! Join the Oddly Enough blog network!

Above: Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown waits to greet his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso outside 10 Downing Street in London April 1, 2009. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Below: Lots of important people arriving at Number 10.

More stuff from Oddly Enougy

12 comments so far

And it seems the Prime Minister has to screen the visitors himself, to boot!

- Posted by Bandage

Fans of The Prisoner will know that we don’t need screen doors because our doors mysteriously open and close all by themselves. Stand outside Number 10 for long enough without being arrested, and you’ll see its door has mastered the same trick.

- Posted by Ian Kemmish

just out of interest how long does it take you to come up with that stuff?

- Posted by steven

In the Order of the Phoenix an entire building would appear which could be seen and entered only by members of the Order.

J.K. Rowling is at the Summit.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

- Posted by Bill

These is a doorknocker. Its in the shape of a lions head. Quite a common theme.

There is no door handle on the outside though, as the door can only be opened from the inside.(Which means there ALWAYS has to be someone in the house.)

- Posted by Rob

Hang on a second, Rob, that makes my head hurt. How do you BUILD a house that always has to have somebody inside it? Do you like start with the person and the door, and then build everything else?

And what if there’s a fire?Some poor dimwit has to sacrifice himself?

- Posted by Robert Basler

If it’s our 51st state, why is the door marked with a 10? Perplexing.

- Posted by Shawn Hendricks

Or was that Canada and is there a difference? Never mind.

- Posted by Shawn Hendricks

[...] glad you asked. Recently I published an item about Britain’s prime minister having to wait outside to greet guests, because he [...]

- Posted by Finally screening their visitors? | Not So Headline News

[...] glad you asked. Recently I published an item about Britain’s prime minister having to wait outside to greet guests, because he [...]

- Posted by Finally screening their visitors? | iSawNEWS.com

[...] glad you asked. Recently I published an item about Britain’s prime minister having to wait outside to greet guests, because he [...]

- Posted by Finally screening their visitors? | iSawNEWS.com

[...] Guy, you have written lots about exotic homes of the world’s leaders. Interesting stuff about 10 Downing Street, where Britain’s prime minister lives, and your amazing look at the unique home of [...]

- Posted by Looks like Miami, only Frenchier! | Not So Headline News

Post Your Comment

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture. Click on the picture to hear an audio file of the word.
Click to hear an audio file of the anti-spam word

House Rules:
  • We moderate all comments and will publish everything that advances the post directly or with relevant tangential information
  • We try not to publish comments that we think are offensive or appear to pass you off as another person, and we will be conservative if comments may be considered libelous information.