JCC Support the London tube strike

Are you going to vigorously exercise in celebration?

 

Not at all. Tuesday is a light strength day for me, working at around 60-70% of 1RM depending on the position in the macro cycle. Although I guess that's probably considered likely to cause horrible, gurgling death in some quarters.

 

have you gotten the driver that micromanages passenger behavior and blurts out unnecessary information yet?

 

He - along with the little punk guy you sometimes see doing the platform thing at Central Line stations - is .the star of the service. And I'm not kidding. On one occasion his rant about people leaning against the doors cutting the circuit as he pulled out of a platform made me literally laugh out loud... and I'm otherwise a highly dedicated Londoner who keeps a stoney 'I'd sooner eat my own testicles than interact with you' face at all times on public transport.

He deserves the astronaut wages. He's a national treasure. Hell, if he was the one who took the backhander on the Metronet contact that saw £400million of public money flushed down the drain then all is forgiven.

 

You would be proud, unhinged. I was staying in Paddington last trip to London, and as I would descend the steps opposite the Hilton hotel I would put a £10 note in the machine and get an all-day pass (a luxury Australia doesn't have; if we did it would cost $80 and you'd have to try and pick the smells emanating from at least three members of staff) so I could go all over London. I had an app that would tell me the quickest way to get to my destination, and it was on a phone that played lovely podcasts so I could avoid hearing anyone. I made no eye contact, thanked nobody, and made a half-arsed effort to give the people getting off the tube space as I waited to board.

In short, I fit right in.

 

I love those signs. So British, in that the subversion still conforms to the design philosophy of the tube maps.

 

Our maps and signs are generally the same, which makes sense I suppose but the actual rail network itself was designed by people who, it seems, would favour returning the Elgin Marbels:

http://www.airportlink.com.au/images/network-map.jpg

The map helpfully calls out Bondi Junction with prominence, insofar as that's where most Britons would go. Our train drivers don't strike, but they don't have to. They could just carelessly pour a beer out the window and the entire network would collapse.

 

Very similar. I've always been really impressed with the London tube map. It's so beautifully clear.

Early maps were geographically accurate, but not easy to follow



And this is an approximation of a geographically accurate modern tube map

 

The underground map is a thing of beauty

 

South London is severely neglected when it comes to the tube. I mean, look at that damn Metropolitan line!

 

On the plus side, it makes housing saaaaaaaaaaf of the river relatively affordable. I'm planning to take advantage of that sometime later this year.

...and props to halibut for knowing the noble game of Mornington Crescent. Haven't played since I was at Uni (in the 90s).

 

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to last years world championship

 

I gather it's a lot less stabby that it used to be?

 

It's better, certainly. There's been an influx of young professionals/first-time buyers which has diluted the stabbiness in some places. There are still plenty of areas where it's best to wear a flak vest, though.

 

yeah, I'm South London based. Croydon, specifically. Still has a bad reputation attached to the name but they're pumping over £1bn into the place over the next few years including the new Westfield, so think prices will inevitable rise as people keep migrating south from Clapham/Balham etc.

 

Also Croydon based. Only been here just over a year and can't say I've had any problems. Saying that, my bus did just take an age to get me home due to someone being assaulted in the street so clearly not that great.

 

One of my dreams is to move to London when I'm older since I won't have to own a car and can take the subway to everywhere.

 

Oooh yes, even I know of Croydon's reputation. Very stabby indeed. Life expectancy has risen from 18 mins to 3 months, but it's still got a way to go.

 

Cardiff > London

 

That was a given, no?

 

Much of the countryside of England is gorgeous too. Great running atmosphere.

 

There are some awesome running events here. Tough Guy and Nuts Challenge both make Tough Mudders and Spartans feel like a walk in the park.

 

Would I be right in assuming tube drivers all have W area postcodes, given their salaries? And that those events are designed to replicate the extreme physical regimen of their daily grind?