If you were to ask someone to list the four most cultured and most important cities in the world, and it’s a good bet that you’ll hear New York, Paris, Tokyo and London. But, a city without decent public transportation means it is a city that only claim to be up there with the big boys. London is the only one out of those four cities mentioned which suffers from an unreliable subway system (tak…..

If you were to ask someone to list the four most cultured and most important cities in the world, and it’s a good bet that you’ll hear New York, Paris, Tokyo and London. But, a city without decent public transportation means it is a city that only claim to be up there with the big boys. London is the only one out of those four cities mentioned which suffers from an unreliable subway system (take a look at either the New York Subway or the Paris Metro and it’s enough to make any Londoner get the green eyes.) I know it’s easy to knock the Tube, and I acknowledge the fact that it is a product of its oh so early time. Unfortunately, it was not built with the intention of its being used on a 24-hour continuous basis as in New York. Apparently, building in air-conditioning units was not at the top of the list of the Tube’s designers way back in the 19th century. Londoners berate the Tube, but although it’s quite easy to say that they’d miss it if it wasn’t there.
One major problem with the Tube is that you cannot rely on the trains to be running at the right time. Unless you have checked the website before you leave the house, you turn up at the station with absolutely no idea whether the tube lines you plan to use are running without problems, or with minor delays, or major delays, or just not at all (although this is quite rare). You could say that this is the same with any system of public transportation, but the difference with London is that delays and cancellations are so frequent that the Londoner cannot assume on the basis of probability that everything will probably be okay, because whenever I have used the Tube – and I have lived in London for four years – there is always something not working properly.
I will give credit where it’s due though. When the Tube works, it’s the quickest way of getting from point A to point B in this overcrowded city. Some of the stations are a wonder to see – take Canary Wharf (likened by many to a futuristic cathedral) and Westminster for instance – even though probably just as many, if not more, stations (especially on the outskirts) are becoming derelict and badly-lit. The Tube is safe, easy to navigate (thanks to the pioneering and frankly genius design of the Tube map- the NYC subway has much to learn in terms of cartography!) and has plenty of stations so that you never have to walk very far to find one. Accidents are rare, even if scare stories about cracked rails or weak tunnels appear on newspaper front pages frequently. Of course there’s the threat of terrorism, you wouldn’t be in London if you’d bat an eye at that.
Overall, it is a good system, but has its flaws. Personally, I don’t know where I would be without it! However, I fear what it will be like when the Olympics come to the city though!