Tube Awakening...

Written by Matt:

The famous London underground is symbolic of the city it connects, transporting the millions of inhabitants each day to their various destination points; anywhere from historical sites to sophisticated new age city dwellings and places. For this well travelled tube commuter, here are a few thoughts of life on the tube.

I must admit when I first rode the tube, I was readily impressed with the sublime efficiency on show. Coming from a bedridden public transportation system in Sydney, where late running trains were the standard fare, I found it a novelty that a train came every few minutes. I couldn’t comprehend all the pre travel warnings I had received about the ‘crummy’ tube network. To me, this was public transport manifested in all its glory…one year later…

First thing to change: rushing around. I swear this city makes you walk faster than you’ve ever walked before. None more evident than running for the tube, up and down escalators, through tight squeezes dodging human traffic left, right and centre in an attempt to board a train. Despite knowing full well that there’s another train approaching a few minutes behind (beware those dreaded delays), there’s something highly competitive in the London psyche, that makes you run, grab, hustle and bustle your way on board.

As you step into the tube, newspapers dominate your view. Not one smile to be seen from the heads burrowed within the newspapers, no eye contact, no noticeable human contact despite the tight squeeze you walk/run/waltz/shimmy/squeeze (apply correct scenario) into upon entrance. Everybody seems to be off in their little world absorbing the latest headlines, whilst others are in a zombielike trance listening to their ipods. The balance of serenity is broken as a group of tourists clamber onto the tube bringing with them the enthusiastic loudness one associates with being in a new town. The Londoners casually glance up to see what has interrupted this serene balance and after giving some withering looks, withdraw the collective furrowed brows back into the gossip pages of the London papers. The ipod zombies hardly shift for the enthusiastic group of tourists.

Nothing highlights my tube amusement better than what I term the ‘Imperial march’. This is highly evident on probably one of the most disliked stretches of ‘in between’ station walking paths. I like to call it the ‘Green Park Mile’. You get all types of people here along this stretch. The robotic that go with the flow, where one misstep can cause severe consequences like stepping on someone else’s shoe upsetting the rhythmic synchronisation. I admit to marching with the flow to the music of the Empire’s Imperial March sounding in my head (for those familiar with Star Wars). Somehow it seems to depict the moment very well. You also encounter the ‘eager beavers’ who go against the stream to try and beat the crowds as they duck and weave whilst crossing over to the incoming wave of human traffic. Then you have the slow lane, these are Londoners who know on which side to walk on. And then you have the tourists, who don’t know the right side to walk on and are a constant nuisance to the London locals. Their leisurely pace equates to an increase in ‘eager beavers’.

Next up: personal space, this is where the phrase ‘mind the gap’ truly comes into play. An unwritten rule of tube riding, do not sit next to someone if there are other seats available. Why is this so, I haven’t a clue but on more than one occasion have I witnessed very such people who have moved when one has sat too close to them. Maybe I am not fully converted to the London psyche yet or maybe I just smell bad.

In true Londoner style, after a year of consistent hopping on and off the tube system, I must admit some of my original views have tarnished at a rapid rate. In between the fun and games mentioned above, has been non stop track work, service suspensions and delays stretching for what seems like an eternity (especially in those hot underground passages –where BO is at it’s full brilliance). It’s surprising how ‘Londoner’ one can become in this crazy city! But the glory days still has its moments for the tourist lurking in me, after all, what else can bring a smile and sense of shared amusement to you and your fellow commuters as you board the tube on your journey…..”Welcome to the Piccadilly line, this train goes to Cockfosters…”

Safe travels and see you somewhere on the underground….well not really, what was that newspaper headline?