London Underground (Random rant)

[TooNice]

I am pretty sure that the London Underground is the first underground system I have used anywhere in the world. When I first visited London as a child, I thought that it was the best form of public transportation ever invented. In my little world, I perceived it as cheap (50p - keeping in mind I was buying child tickets), 'fast' and 'efficient' (keeping in mind that I often went the same couple of places in central London and didn't have any tight schedule).

Now I find that it is anything but cheap, not as quick as I once remembered and... frequently having problems somewhere. I've probably used the Underground 5-6 days per week in the past month, and it just seems that most of the time, I will see a line closed/partly closed for engineering work, or a station(s) (sometime major, like King's Cross) closed down for some reason (e.g. escalator does not work) and various other issues that can considerably lengthen one's journey (I've had my journey time doubled in more than one instances). Now I am all for them putting the passenger's safety first, but are other, seemingly less problematic underground system I've used elsewhere in the world less safe?

The benefit of living in London still outweigh the negative in my current view. But the London Underground doesn't seem to have improved much in over a decade despite all the disruptive work and price hike. And while I couldn't live without, it's no longer my favourite underground system.

[b0redom]

WARNING: Contains rude words.....

http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground/

[sleepyhead]

NSFW!!!

The london underground song

Oh you monkey b0redom, you beat me to it!

[b0redom]

Is there an echo in here?

[HSK]

i hope all this crap they keep doing on the system is worth it.

[HoldenBurn1000]

Anyone used the Metro in Paris? Bloody amazing underground system. So simple for a first timer to use and very cheap!

best underground system I have used IMO.

[SiM]

Damn I was going to post a song too

[TooNice]

I've used the Paris Metro many, many years ago. At the time, I didn't think it was better than the London Underground, but my stance might be different now. If I was to vote my favourite underground system at the moment, it would probably be the one used in Hong Kong. It's a bit unfair considering the (smaller) size of Hong Kong, which makes the network less complex to build, and it was also built a much later (i.e. so probably had access to more modern engineering/technology than some other underground system). But they made good use of it: for instance the Octopus card was introduced over 5 years before London's Oyster card. I am just wondering what they are doing during those engineering work.

[Barrichello]

The benefit of living in London still outweigh the negative in my current view. But the London Underground doesn't seem to have improved much in over a decade

Yep i agree. Having grown up here i remember using the tube when at school (omg ages ago) and always seemed to be fine back then, just seems to be showing its age now.

Saying that i rarely use the tube now. Its funny as many people try to sell certain parts of London as "its great as it has a tube station" but to be honest who really "wants" to use the tube. Give me a direct overground BR station any day please

[mycarsavw]

Anyone used the Metro in Paris? Bloody amazing underground system. So simple for a first timer to use and very cheap!

best underground system I have used IMO.

Completely agree.

We fail at roads and rail.

I can get on a train and be in Paris in under 2 hours. If I get on a train and head to London, I'll be lucky if I get there in 3 hours.

[gman1981]

I see what your saying - but because of under-funding for the last 20 years the Underground is struggling and hopefully in the next 5 to 10 years all this disruption will be for the better. On the Paris Metro - I thought it wasn't any better than the London Underground - cleaner though. HK and the Copenhagen ones are the best I've ever been to. Sydney one aint bad either.

[Bleak]

Was going to post a link to the song a couple of people have mentioned above as soon as I saw the thread!

I live very close to London but don't have a need to go there apart from a night out so haven't got the experience of being late for something important because of the Underground. Simple fact is though, most of the system is outdated and it will probably take decades of work to upgrade the Underground to the standard of other similar systems. Unfortunately people have to live with it, that's until is just becomes quicker to walk down the road.

[Twigman]

Moscow underground!
It's so pretty! (google for images). And cheap as chips. And clean.
Love it.

Tokyo has the most awesome soundtrack to their underground. People who have been there will know what I mean

[Steve]

Anyone used the Metro in Paris? Bloody amazing underground system.

Indeed, the Metro is ace. Much better than the lunderground.

[GAteKeeper]

Supposedly they are 'improving it' for 2012 but I can forsee even more chaos that there is now!!
Olympics should have gone to Paris, make it there problem and let them foot the bill. Winds me up something cronic that all that money is being spent on something soo short sighted even when some of the projects could have been moved out of hte captial and made perminant features rather than extremely costly temperary installations.

/rant

GK

[Stringent]

Does the Paris metro still run on those funny tyres?