tube

It's not often that you get on the Tube and stumble across some of the best footballers in the world. However, that's exactly what happened for some lucky Londoners yesterday after the German football team decided to take the unorthodox method of travel.

Germany are in London to prepare for a friendly match against England at Wembley tonight and have taken the opportunity to explore the famous Underground system.

"Greater London is served by 12 Tube lines, along with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and an interconnected local train network. Trains generally run between 5am and midnight, Monday to Saturday. Operating hours are reduced on Sunday." (VisitLondon.com)

Bank station was voted as the most hated station by Londoners.

I personally don't agree. Let me explain why.

I live in the East End and therefore have to travel on the DLR pretty much everyday. I have my reasons to complain as the DLR has shut down numerous times on the weekends. So I'd say if I had to complain it would not be about the station, but about the whole line instead. But then again, why always consider the negative aspects of public transport?

Other hated stations include Oxford Circus, Elephant and Castle and King's Cross- the busy ones obviously. The London Underground system can become very crowded at peak times and, therefore, is difficult for those with mobility problems. Sometimes you even have to wait to get on the next train as carriages are packed. But this is LONDON!

The Positives of the Tube

There are positive aspects to the London Underground, which provides many advantages such as the following:

Earlier this week, Bank was voted the most hated tube station in London. Possibly because of the general loathing against bankers- the station is always full of them because of the direct service to London City Airport and Canary Wharf.

But for one Wednesday last week, the busiest station must have been St Paul's. It was there that I met a businessman who was rushing to do business somewhere around Greenwich.

I was waiting for a tube, just coming back from Margaret Thatcher's funeral, when joined by several well dressed gentlemen. One of them, nearing his 50s, approached the traffic warden with a question about the connection to North Greenwich - business interest, obviously.

Later he boarded the train and spent the journey engaged in conversion with a ‘peer'. I only overheard that one word 'peer' while reading paper, business news.

Upon leaving, I left the paper on the seat. The well dressed gentleman took it. I meant to leave it for other travellers to read, I apologized for what might be seen as leaving rubbish.

"That's all right', he said "I'll read it on my next train".

He asked me whereabouts I was from.

"Slovakia", he reacted to my country of origin. "I have a friend from there, Bruno, makes good guns".

London is probably one of the greatest cities to study in. The multicultural community, the fast paced life and the varied entertainment makes London never a dull city. This week, I will present a number of small anecdotes I will never forget.