Daily: The Tube

I’m going to say that access to reliable public transportation is the single best thing about living in a large city. There are a million great things about City Life, but it seems that most of them are either stemmed from or enhanced by the train and bus systems.

For that reason, I felt compelled to write about the splendor that is the London Underground. Even though I have much Chicago Pride, I have to admit that The Tube is worlds better than The El.

Accessibility

Here’s a link to a large map of the system. Marty and I live near the Angel stop on the Northern Line, which is colored black. The great thing about The Tube is that there are transfers in every part of the system, as opposed to the El which has transfers only in the Loop. More transfers mean a more direct route and shorter commute time.

Also, with 12 lines it would be easy to make a system that was less than navigable. Not so with the Tube. It has great signage and direction is easy. As newcomers, Marty and I have rarely gotten lost on the train, but it has happened a few times to both of us.

There are a few bad things about the Tube, but mostly there are ways around the rough spots. It stops running at midnight. (The El’s Red and Blue lines run constantly.) Also, there invariably is a line, or part of a line down for construction or repairs. So it can be a bit unpredictable in that sense. There’s usually a way around the construction to your destination, though there may be a couple of transfers involved. I haven't run into this yet, but I've heard that it can get unbearably hot down there due to lack of ventilation.

Also better in London than in Chicago—the buses. There are more than 600 routes within the city. 600! Marty and I estimate that you could get anywhere you want to go in the city with no more than two bus transfers.

Most of those routes are run by private companies that contract under the government group, London Buses. There are 10 companies that contract to London Buses, allowing there to be more funding for routes. (Take note, Daley.)

I can remember waiting up to 45 minutes in the freezing cold for one of those damn blue and white buses. Here, where it is never actually, literally freezing outside, buses come at the most 20 minutes apart. And that’s a long wait, usually they’re about five to seven minutes apart.

History

What foreigner wouldn’t get a thrill from riding on one of London’s famous red double-decker buses? I have to admit, every time I get one I still want to climb the stairs even if it’s a short trip. Just because I can. It’s cool to see the city through a vehicle that has been a London staple for more than 50 years. I guess they are controversial because they are dangerous and discriminate against the disabled. On some routes they are being replaced by “bendy buses” which are like two buses held together with an accordion.

Double-deckers really could be perilous, by the way. The stairs are steep and if you’re not watching yourself, it’s easy to lose your balance if the bus lurches. Especially if you are elderly or drunk or otherwise impaired.

While Chicago's El has a cool lore about it, its got nothin on the Tube. When the Nazis were bombing Great Britain, many stations were used as air-raid shelters. Winston Churchill even used one before the War Cabinets were built.

In its beginnings, the tube’s separate lines also were run by private investors so transfers were built far apart from the competition. Another thing, all 12 lines exist on their own planes underground, so some are deep down below. Transfers sometimes require a long ride on an escalator at a 60 degree incline. The first time I rode one I was, like, totally flipping out, man. In this picture you can see the angle of the escalator compared with the ads.

Cost

Buses are a flat rate, but the Tube is sectioned into six zones and charges accordingly. Marty and I haven’t yet ventured out of zone one, except to get back from Heathrow when we arrived, so it’s a pretty good deal for us. We also have the Oyster Card, London's version of the Chicago Card, so it's discounted and even cheaper than the El.

The Crazies

Any veteran of CTA knows that if there is an empty train car in between two full cars, it means someone took a dump in their pants and unless you have no sense of smell, you better not get on the empty car.

Every public transportation system has its share of crazies, but I bet a Londoner would be shocked riding the El at midnight in the dead of winter. You know, when all the urine-soaked homeless camp out in the back of the train to sleep out the below-zero temperatures.

The other kind of insane people on the El were tolerable, if even entertaining. Like the Evangelicals who tried to converters during the commute rush hour.

I don’t know if the British are just less tolerable of homeless on the Tube, or what the reason is because there are plenty of homeless on the streets.

Before I noticed that there weren't any nutzo people on the train, I was a little surprised that there were nicely-cushioned chairs with armrests on the Tube. I assumed that they would have to be replaced a lot because of bodily fluids or vandalism.