How Londoners can tolerate their underground?

Question

Or, I should say, how could you possibly accept to pay that much money, for such a bad, bad service as the London underground?

It's plain c**p :Extremely expansive, very packed -I'm sure cows have more spaces when they'll meet their slaughter, ALWAYS a problem on one or several lines (5 times in ten trajects for mine last week, and it's the central line!), incredibly hot in some stations -especially in the summer...

And the grid (not sure I'm using the good word, I mean the number of stations in london, the coverage of the city) is not excptional either.

I don't understand.I'm french and I know that french people are grumpy, but I can tell you that it would certainly be a big scandal there if we were served with such an awful service, and I would fully support that.

English are reputed to be flegmatic, but come on, you can't accept that!Or..do you?

ps: there one good point:I've never met any of these awful stinky station that you can meet in Paris (like Chatelet, Opera...).

Answer 1

See this link for your answer!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/londo...

Answer 2

why have u written an essay ???

instead of a simple question !?

Answer 3

Tell me about it, thats one of the reasons I wont be working in London again if I can help it. We have no choice but to accept it, our views and complaints arent listended to, can you really see there being a mass walk out, ie people not using the tube for one day in protest? aint gonna happen, people use if because theres no really alternative, buses get stuck in traffic constantly and cycling is asking to be run over

Answer 4

You should try California next & compare it to the ones you have already tried, then write a little book on the subject!  I live in Southern California (L.A) & think ours is crappy.  I have lived in San Francisco & it was a good system.  I left in the late 1980's, so I don't know what it is like today.  I have heard a lot of people from New York complain about the London Subways, so they must REALLY be bad if a New Yorker doesn't like it!

Answer 5

The reason they tolerate it is because they have no possible alternative. They have to like-it-or-lump-it.

Probably, being French, you would blockade all the stations and start setting fire to things, like you normally do when something disagree with you, but the English are more civilised about things. Shame there wasn't such a 'grumpy scandal' when France let Germany invade in World War 2. If England hadn't bankrupted itself bailing France out we might have had a very arty-farty underground system.

If it annoys you so much, and this may sound puerile, bugger-off back to France.

Answer 6

Er... it's always been a bit crowded and some of the people at these information points are not, well, informative  "look at the timetable" and "ask the ticket person" (WHO?).  You can usually manage to get to your destination however.

I am a scouser and have to point out that the Newcastle Metro is totally different.  What helpful people!  Not only paid employees, but the public.  Much appreciated, over many years to different destinations.  I know my way now!

Answer 7

Come to New York and take one whiff of the subway, then you won't hate the Underground as much.  Two words: steamed urine.

Answer 8

How big of you to tell us that there is one good point.

If you're French and you dislike the Underground so much, you have several options. These are

1]: Go by bus

2]: Go by taxi

3]: Walk

4]: Sod off back to Paris where it seems everything is so wonderful. It wasn't the last time I was there....

Answer 9

Surely some service is better than no service at all and I've tried other undergound systems and its not that bad. What do you propose doing to make it better exactly?

Answer 10

You are not wrong on your negative points.. but, I believe that Paris is worst:

Constant strikes, directions unclear to say the least, no elevators (great with luggage for a start), no staff anywhere to help if your ticket is ever refused by the machine, many more assaults (again, no staff!) etc..

And sorry, but did you mean that Paris was not overcrowded? Try commuting at rush hour!

So, in both cases, we take the tube because we do not have the choice! (and in my case, in both cities)

Answer 11

I used to enjoy rush hour on the underground :o)

Answer 12

I don't think you can compare London Underground to Paris Metro that easily, Firstly London is far bigger then Paris and the Tube is a heavy rail system stretching out for miles into the country. The Paris Metro was relatively easy to build as Paris was designed with wide streets which were good for building cut and cover tunnels. The historical legacy of the tube system in London is still very much evident.

Answer 13

How dare you insult the Underground, I regard purchasing a zone 6 ticket and spending the day crusin the tube as a highlight of my  life. Much better than tramping through mud and brambles on the footpaths around my home.

Look at all the Victorian infrastructure, the multi racial grafiti, the assorted smells of perfume and urine, listen to buskers with even less talent than x factor contestants, watch businessmen kick the beggars, and watch the perverts rubbing up against young ladies, and boys, in the crush of rush hour. Mind you it takes about 3 days to get the grime out of your facial pores afterwards but Londoners would not notice, thats why londoners always look 10 years older than your proper age, underground patina, or as we gloucestershire folk call it, dirt.  Why is it so cheap? they have a monopoly.

Answer 14

it was the first subway EVER. what can you expect?

Answer 15

I wouldn't complain if I were you cos London is a colonial city and they like to keep it that way. I mean, the people are stingy so what do you expect. I personally don't use the underground much when in London.

But having said that, you should check out subways in US. You will faint. Best description: DON'T EVEN GO THERE!

I guess it's pretty good in France. My cousin lives there and keeps telling me that France has the best transport system, shopping and oh the perfumes!