Tubes from Hell- London Underground (Public Transport in general)

Member Name: louiseyanik

Product:	Public Transport in general
Date:	17/02/03 (151 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: can read free newspapers without buying one, get you to work eventually), meet new people

Disadvantages: hot, smelly, always late

I have been meaning to spread the word about the tubes for some time now, not that you (if you live in London)are unaware of the complete trauma it involves when riding on the tube.
My main concern when I first moved to London was that I would be chlostrophobic, but fortunately for me this was not the case, I dont mind standing bolt upright, staring right in the face of someone of the opposite sex with a beard like rumple stiltskin and bad breath that would beat a sewer hands down at a game of "what smells worst".
I don't even mind being late anymore, it comes with the territory. I no longer have to pull out my pocket the "best excuses for lateness" book when arriving at work 3/4 hour late, I just blame to tube- in fact I blame most things on the tube.
It's such an anonymous environment, especially between the hours of 8 and 9am and the evening rush hour and it is for this reason that I hate the tube.
People step out of their houses equiped with handbag, tube card and manners and enter the tube station to find the ticket machines are broken, the ticket office has a queue the length of the central line and there are no more copies of the metro, apart from a few loosely strewn across the floor (which it is safe to point out at this stage I have never seen being picked up by anyone).
These people then proceed to the ticket gate, of which there is one turnstile allowing you through and 10 others allowing you out, the point being here that no-one actually wants to get out, they want to get in.
It is at this exact moment that you see people transform into something quite strange. they are still equipped with their tube pass in one hand, handbag clutched tightly in the other, with one thing now missing: something that disappeared on the steps to the ticket office perhaps, or maybe whilst they were sapped of it as they went through the turnstile- it is of course Manners!...
I used to think they didn't exist in Lond

on, but they do, I have met some very pleasant people in London who have afforded me a glance and half a smile at the bus stop in the past (quite a while ago actually but never mind- thats a story for another day)..
It is the manners that amaze me. I put it down to the fact that people just aren't supposed to be that close to each other, unless you are planning to have some amazing physical enclounter. No-one will ever let you sit down and those seats (as dirty and stinky as they are) are worth more than their weight in gold. People will push, pull, grunt and groan as they squash themselves next to you, no-one will open the window which is just too far out of your reach to do it yourself, and when you do ask politely- you are stared at like some sort of freak- whats the big deal?...is it so strange to want to breathe some air from time to time?..It does break the journey up somewhat to be able to read the paper (over someones shoulder of course!)..
I did recently write a letter to the Mayor of London (about the air-con)who snubbed me with all sorts of excuses about the age of the underground, the inability of the engineers to fix any air-con whatsoever, because there is nowhere for the hot air to go- ok then thats fine- why dont we leave it in the carriages and heat up the passengers, we need a bit more heat in there- especially in winter when its freezing (if you class 100 degrees quite nippy)
Theres nothing quite like the impact of heat, coupled by overcrowding, early mornings, delayed tubes and cramped ticket halls to flare those tempers...I could go on and on and on.......but I was late this morning and have to work through my lunch to make up lost time...(I hope I have convinced all those who are thinking of avoiding the conjestion charge to think again.....all is not as it seems on the tube)

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