As a resident of Boston for nearly four years, I have developed considerably low standards for public transit (we’ve all been held victim to the volatile Green Line). However, I had heard (and remembered from past visits), that the London public transit system was exceptional. Luckily, I live on campus, so I don’t have to take a train or bus to class, but I do get out to the rest of the city a lot, so I’m using public transit quite a bit. Queen Mary’s campus is conveniently right down the street from the Mile End Underground station. From there, I can hop on either the Central, District, or Hammersmith & City lines, which will take me pretty much anywhere I need to go (or to another station where I can transfer to any other line I need). The trains are fast and run on a reliable schedule, so I’m never waiting too long, and are only overcrowded during rush hours, which I try to avoid. Buses, while they often take longer than the Underground, are also much more reliable than they are in Boston. I will often take the bus if I’m just exploring the city and don’t have to be anywhere in a rush or at a specific time—I like to sit in the front row on the second level (yes, virtually all buses are of the red, double-decker variety) for the great views of the city passing by.
The only trouble I’ve had with public transit in London has been the Tube strikes we’ve been having. Workers on the Underground have been on strike twice since I’ve arrived, and there are more strikes planned for February. When there’s a strike, lines are either down entirely or there’s extremely limited service for 24 hours, so the lines that are open are extremely crowded. Because people are avoiding the Underground, buses are also over-crowded. On the day of the last Tube strike, I made the mistake of attempting to get home from central London during rush hour. The closest Underground station was so busy, they weren’t even letting people in, so I took a bus. It took me over an hour to take what would have normally been a 20 minute journey, standing the whole way, squished in like a sardine with other disgruntled commuters (I’m never making that mistake again).
Highlights of the week: Seeing even more great plays (Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw at the Donmar Warehouse and Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason at the Hampstead Theatre), going on a walking tour of various Harry Potter film locations in the city (the door of the Leaky Cauldron in Sorcerer’s Stone! Millennium Bridge! Leadenhall Market, inspiration for Diagon Alley!), and getting lost in Soho, where I found some seriously adorable hidden courtyards and shops.
