==== Urban Planning, Squathole Style ==== === Squat Hole - Tuesday Afternoon === Big Su Skronky is perturbed. She recently overheard a new rookie to the Island who, in previous life, had been an 'urban planner'. Said rookie was rather more proud of this than it perhaps warrants. Big Su heard the rookie banging on at some length about "//modern urban planning//", implying that Squat Hole was primitive, with it's lack of congestion controls. Big Su had joined in the conversation on a rather physical level, ensuring that the rookie was unlikely to make the mistake of disparaging the Hole in that way again. Big Su didn't realise that now the rookie was denigrating Squat Hole for altogether different reasons, and making sure that there weren't any Squats around when he did so. But still, his comments stung. Big Su knows, of course, that Squat Hole is the finest metropolis on the planet. Best in both entertainment and cuisine on offer, but sometimes other people don't realise that. Big Su bumps into Mildew Skronky and talks to her about it. "Wot dis town needs iz urban plannin'." "Wot?" "Urban plannin'. You know, traffic managemen', congeshion control measures." Big Su: "Wun way streets, make people go where we want 'em to." Mildew has no idea what 'traffic management' or 'congestion control measures' are, but isn't about to admit it. Mildew can however guess what 'one way streets' are and knows perfectly well where she wants people to go. Big Su doesn't know what the big words mean really either. She passes the buck. "Oi'll put you in charge of it then. Get Thuggins to 'elp you." Big Su walks off. Job done. Mildew scratches her head. She really should be getting to work in Booz right now, but orders are orders. She goes off to find Thuggins. Mildew returns dragging Thuggins Skronky by the ear, and with a big pot of paint. "Roit we need to make wun way streets. Oil say where, and you paint arrows." Mildew spends half an hour training Thuggins how to paint arrows. Finally he seems to have it. More or less. "Now, git and paint arrow, there." She points to the entrance of Other Shite Road. Mildew stands back some hours later looking round in satisfaction at a job well done. There are arrows everywhere, pointing everywhere, but there is a plan behind it. Mildew smile fades however, as she looks round and realises that the Squats are taking absolutely no notice of the new one way system whatsoever, just going where they want to go, as they always have. Mildew screeches "Oi! You! You fooker!" she grabs a nearby Squat. "Where duz you fink your goin' then?" "Down 'ere to gym?" "No yer fookin' not! look at arrow!" she points it out. "Yer goin' down there!" Mildew throws the Squat in the desired direction, then looks round. There's a lot of Squats, and she's not going to be able to handle all of them herself. This is a job for a dedicated team. Mildew goes off to find the officers of the Skronky Pot Protectors Society. ===Time Passes=== Cantankerous Biggs strolls into town. He's had a good productive working day mugging contestants in the jungle, and is now off to see his old friend Scumbelly Perkins to drink some Wanker and have a fight. Biggs had planned on this at any rate. However, the Hole is heaving with Squats, none of them going in the direction they wanted to, and when he tries to turn down Tosspot Lane, his entrance is barred. Biggs "Oi! Lerrus through, Im goin' down 'ere you dick'eads!" "No yer fackin' not!" "Yes oi iz!" "No yer fackin' not! New one way system innit? Orders of Skronkys! Yer goin' that way!" Biggs sees a big arrow pointing down Brawlin' Street. More importantly he sees the big traffic warden's billy clubs and the shiney //S.P.P.S.// badges that the other Squats are wearing. Biggs is tempted to use his fists, but knows that getting into trouble with the S.P.P.S. and hence the Skronkys, is a bad idea, so he contents himself with a "Fackin' dick'eads" and goes where he is told. Biggs bumps into Smegma Bailey, who had just nipped out to break into her neighbours to thieve some Wanker but is now far from home. Biggs: "Wot's goin' on 'ere then? They wudden't lerrus doon Tosspot Lane!" "It's fackin' new wun way system innit? 'Traffic control', 'Congestion Managment. Fack knows why. Fackin' chaos." Biggs sees a way round. No one seems to be guarding Stench Alley. He can nip down there, hang a left down Piss Up Way and then...but no! The other end of Stench Alley has more S.P.P.S. members there. Biggs has to go right instead, bringing him back onto Brawlin' Street Like and hence back to the other end of All That Other Shite Way, which is still one way, but going in the opposite direction. How can this be? Biggs is carried along by the crowds getting thicker and thicker until it reaches the stream of traffic coming in the other direction, right in the middle of Shopliftin' Avenue. Now there is only one way to go. Into the Skronky Pot. Mildew Skronky is delighted. It turns out that 'traffic management' and 'congestion control measures' are more useful than she'd realised. Scores of Squats are being driven into the Pot and once inside are donating their phlegm. Not always voluntarily it's true but that's a minor detail. Business is so brisk that many Squats are kicked out the back entrance again without being paid and what with so such a wave of Squats coming out, no way of getting back in again to complain. The Pot is absolutely ram packed with Squats now. Most of them smoking. The Pot has thick clouds of smoke billowing out of it. A Mutant who had been passing through on the way to Improbable Central sees the clouds of smoke, and jumps to the wrong conclusion. It must be on fire! He tries to do his civic duty, and, grabbing what looks like a bucket of water off a Squat wedged next to him, throws it in the door. Thuggins Skronky has had his bucket of beer suddenly grabbed out of his hands! He watches in horror as it is thrown in the door of the Squat Hole business establishment and, catching a lit cigarette, starts burning. Thuggins is incensed at this, and starts to give the Mutant a lesson in civic duty that he'll never forget. He certainly won't make that mistake again. Thuggins lays into the Mutant as the fire in the Pot starts to spread. Nearby Squats have to choose between joining in the punch up, or escaping the fire. Most of them opt for the punch up. Thuggins is at the centre of a rapidly growing riot, next to a burning building, in a densely packed street. Congestion management. Squat style. ---- For more stories from Squat Hole, see [[gameplay:lore:projectsquat:tales_from_the_hole|here]].