British Billy rides the London Tube

  • Published
  • By British Billy
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Travelling the London Underground, or The Tube, as we refer to it colloquially, has stirred the hearts of poets, musicians and authors ever since 1863 when the world's first underground railway opened. It is claimed that the inspiration for James Blunt's song, "You're Beautiful," came as he caught sight of a former girlfriend on the Underground one day, with her new love. The rest is history.

Today, London Underground is a major business with three million passenger journeys made every day, serving 275 stations and more than 408 km of railway. You can find out lots more information and statistics on the Transport for London website, www.tfl.gov.uk

Upon first encounter, the whole Tube experience can be rather daunting, confusing and sometimes even unpleasant. Mass transit means that the tired, poor and huddled masses will rub shoulders with you quite often on your journeys. The experience improves with time and practice, as is the case with most things in life.

Once you have worked out how the amazing Tube map works, it can all be a lot of fun. The iconic London Tube map is recognised worldwide and is emblazoned on all sorts of London souvenirs. The map was the brainchild of Harry Beck, a young draughtsman who drew electrical circuits for the Underground and produced this imaginative yet stunningly simple design back in 1933. He believed that passengers were not too bothered about geographical accuracy, but were more interested in how to get from one station to another and where to change trains. Hence he designed a topological map where stations are more or less equally spaced.

As a cat, I would be welcome on the London Underground if I were in a harness or carrier and under control. Those of you who have met me will know that I am a free spirit and will never succumb to such indignity, however tempted I may be. I have been told that there are more than half a million mice on the Tube, although I think they are in the stations rather than ticket-carrying passengers. Apparently they scurry along the Tube lines fighting for hamburger wrappers, crisp packets and other litter. Their fame has spread as passengers now film them on their mobile phones and upload the clips onto the internet. The same is true of pigeons. They have been observed getting on the Underground at one stop and then off at the next-but-one stop, and to repeat this journey regularly. This is the subject of quite a lot of research at the moment.

So if you're heading for the bright lights of London, leave yourself plenty of time to savour the sights, smells and sounds of the Underground. I suspect you will be able to observe some interesting behaviour among your fellow travelers, whether of the feathered, furred or fleshy kind. London has so much to offer and, as the wise already know, it's all about the journey, not just the destination.