An Ethical Dilemma

A Memory of Law.

One of the winter duties of a junior porter at Law Junction was to make sure the bothy coalscuttle was kept full, which occasionally meant keeping a lookout for a train waiting in the station and asking the driver if he would refill the scuttle from his tender. One morning, coalscuttle in hand, I approached one particular driver, only to find him swigging from a bottle. Suddenly to my horror I realised he was as drunk as a lord! His fireman, aware I had noticed the driver’s condition, nervously said “Please don’t say a word, laddie. Everything’s in hand. I’m looking after the train today.” This put me in a very difficult position. I decided, rightly or wrongly, to obey the fireman’s request. But 53 years later I still shudder at the memory!

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