As we approach hopelessly, yet again into a Tube strike, yielding yet again to Bob Crow and his bunch of overpaid croanies, I felt it important to talk about my new London Transport love. The common bus.
I’ve used the buses for a few years in preference to getting on the Tube. I did rib a friend (sorry Jambo) when he had decided to do this many years ago for being cheap, but I now swallow my pride and have to say, he was right.
People dash round London too much, they say things like “London is too stressful” and “I need to get out every now and again”. This is somewhat true, but there are some ways of countering this, SLOW DOWN! Everyone wants to get to where they are going as quick as possible, doesn’t matter about cost or quality, just “GET ME THERE NOW, FAST”. They then get on the tube, a stressful time in itself, stuck deep underground with a load of stressed people, no natural light, trying to cram onto the tube.
Take the bus, pay half the price, sit down, maybe stand up, it might be crowded, look outside, and, best of all, look up, London is a beautiful city, especially when you look around you rather than dashing about, and take time to do so. You can read a book, natural light pouring in. The tube would take me about 20-25 minutes to get to work, taking the bus it is about 35-40 minutes, well worth it! I get to work feeling quite calm and ready to go.
Expedia’s guide tells London like it is, we need to calm down people:
The first step in enjoying London to the full is submitting to its chaos. Its baffling street plan appears to have been designed by a madman, its public transport seems to be run by lunatics, and the residents rush around as if the police were after them. But this is all part of its unique charm. Your best bet is to relax, stay out of commuters’ way, and look up. For above the hustle of the street, the gorgeous façades of the city’s past glory oversee it all.
