The London Underground : How far would we get without it? (Underground in general)

Member Name: englishrose

Product:	Underground in general
Date:	31/03/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, cheap, frequent

Disadvantages: Hot, stuffy, claustrophobic

I am not a London dweller, but I am an occasional visiter, and this review will be from that point of view (bewildered visitor from out in the back of beyond wanders around the Big Smoke!)

I visited London last autumn, and I was dreading having to use the underground for several reasons: Obviously the terrible events of July 2005, combined with my general claustrophobia, added to my fear of being attacked and / or getting lost down there.

In fact, I had planned to get a taxi from the coach station to my hotel, even though I had worked out that it was going to cost me around £15.00, that's how much I wanted to avoid it.

However, when it came down to it, my tight-fistedness won me over, and I headed down the nearest Tube station, fully loaded with a suitcase on wheels, a backpack on my back plus handbag (mugger magnet or what?)

I was pleasantly surprised though, and I have to report that things have definitely changed since my previous visits to the capital city some years ago. Last time I was too scared to even use the cashpoint machines as I was being followed by a very aggressive beggar and there was no-one to turn to for help.

First, I found that although I still had difficulty working out which ticket I required, there were plenty of London Transport staff around the station and when I asked one of them for help, he advised me to get an unlimited day ticket for £5.00 because it would save me money and it also meant that I didn't have to think about what zones I was crossing etc etc.

He must have felt sorry for me because he even worked the ticket machine for me , lol. Very helpful.

Secondly, conditions down the underground station: Yes it's still hot and stuffy down there and I couldn't wait to get out, but it wasn't too manic or crowded, and there did seem to be some air circulating.

Once on the train, I didn't bother sitting down, as I thought it would be easier to just stand with all my baggage, and to my amazement, someone actually struck up a friendly conversation with me.
On the Tube!!! I couldn't believe it, lol.

I did need to change trains, but again, I asked at the next station exactly where I needed to be: I couldn't read the map , I don't know if it's me or whether they need to make the map easier, lol . Again, lots of really helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Waiting on the platform, I felt much more secure than I had expected to , as there were highly visible security staff walking up and down constantly, carrying portable 'scanners' which I presume were to scan any suspicious luggage. Sad sign of the times, but it did make me feel more confident.

Maybe I was just lucky, but this time there were no nasty experiences down the Tube: I didn't see anyone begging or hanging around the cashpoints etc., so I guess the extra security against terrorists has also scared the beggars away at the same time.

It will never be my favourite place in the world, but as a Victorian system, it really is a fantastic piece of engineering and design: Imagine what London traffic would be like if the Tube wasn't underneath taking the strain away. It doesn't bear thinking about!

I've got to say though, there are certain parts of it where I can't help thinking of those scenes in An American Werewolf in London, lol.

Overall, as someone who doesn't use it very often, I have to say, I can really see that big efforts have been made to improve the underground experience, and it has paid off.



Stations I used:

Tottenham Court Road
Victoria
Kings Cross
Covent Garden

Summary: It's much, much better than it used to be