Mind the Gap --- Making Sense of London's Underground

Hello all,

I just thought I’d give a few tips about how to survive the London Underground (subway) system … aka The Tube.

First off, always make sure to know where you’re going before you leave the dorm … don’t wander around aimlessly, expecting any station to take you directly to where you need to be (correction = don't wander aimlessly at all - it let's pickpockets know you're a prime target). Just grab yourself a Tube map and you’re good to go (they’re available at all Tube Stations, and are graciously provided near the reception area of the dorm – right by the couches).

The OYSTER CARD --- it’s a life saver. Buying single tickets is cool for about half a minute (slip the ticket into one end of the machine, and it pops out of the other … instantly granting you access to London’s Underground – like a wonderful game you just can’t lose), but then you realize you could be paying half the price and saving tons of time with a little blue card. Why they call it an Oyster card is beyond me at this point – I have several theories, but they all involve 80’s contemporary jazz icon Tom Grant.

Anyway … just buy the card, it’s faster and cheaper than individual tickets. There are different kinds of Oyster cards … you could buy the unlimited pass (which costs something like 90 pounds for the month), or you could just get a regular card and top up (add money) as needed (it all depends on how much you think you’re going to ride the tube).

Oyster cards also work on the city’s many buses, but you can only top up at the Tube stations – so I would recommend keeping at least 5 pounds on your card at all times (in case a mob of little kids with cockney accents are chasing you, and topping up is not an option).

Crowds --- The Tube can/does get crowded … so be prepared. Sometimes you have to get up close and personal with complete strangers (which can be good or bad, depending on the stranger). When the tube gets crowded, it can get hot and uncomfortable … so you might want to scope out the system for a few days and get a feel for the best times and stations (ex #1/riding at 5:30pm from Oxford Circus = bad)(ex #2/riding at 2pm from Goodge Street = good).

Also … you can judge when to top up depending on when the stations get crowded. Topping up at 6pm is a much longer process than topping up at 11pm.

One more thing --- when the train speaks … listen! When the train operator says to mind the doors, please do … because those doors are closing, with or without you in their way. Also … if the magically robotic voice says “Mind the Gap” … listen to that as well --- the train is sometimes a bit further from the platform than at others … so just be careful.

That’s it for now,

Cheers

Garen