'My first London Underground trip was eye-opening with commuters fighting for seats'
For someone who has lived in London for three years, it may be surprising to hear that I have never travelled on the Tube during rush hour. Before this week, I had only used the London Underground during off-peak hours when visiting my family from Bristol, where I went to university. So when I moved back home to London, the daunting prospect of a daily commute loomed in the near distance.
One morning my journey from Fulham to Canary Wharf was supposed to take 44 minutes - impressive considering how long the journey looked on my Tube map. Instead, I found myself breathlessly arriving at the office after 70 minutes of travelling.
When planning my journey, I had few options besides travelling on the Underground. For an eye-watering £9.40, I could have hopped on the eastbound Thames Clipper courtesy of Uber. Shamefully deep into my student overdraft, I opted for the former, cheaper journey.
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And so I started my commute on the District line at Fulham Broadway. Coming down the stairs onto the platform, I was safe in the knowledge that an eastbound train would be arriving in less than a minute. Contrary to my esteemed plan, however, the train never arrived. Helplessly searching for an answer, I took to the trusty Citymapper app, only to find that the train's arrival time was changing every couple of minutes.
'Elbows flying in all directions'
I continued to impatiently tap my foot - much to the annoyance of my equally frustrated fellow commuter - as the train finally pulled into the station. With elbows flying in all directions, commuters ruthlessly attempted to board the train even before passengers could alight.
To make matters worse, no grab rails or seats were available as commuters packed together like sardines, armpits and stale breath smacking me in the face. Later down the line, as seats became available, passengers battled for a place to sit, blocking the route of the person who had left the seat and was trying to depart.
'At Victoria my mouth opened in horror'
At Victoria, London’s third busiest Underground station, my mouth opened in horror. Taking no care of the yellow line, eager commuters lined up on the platform's edge. Despite all efforts, only a small handful made it onto the train. The others stood shaking their heads as the doors closed.
Arriving at Westminster, I faced the last leg of my journey via the Jubilee line. Two escalators faced me, offering a new challenge on this exhausting, sweat-inducing journey. Commuters took to the escalators, observing the golden rule: stand to the right if you do not want to walk up the escalator and to the left if you do. Already late, I veered to the left and started my ascent.
Reaching the platform, I noticed the unique set of platform screen doors, which are dotted along the Jubilee line to prevent individuals from falling in front of trains. On this particular occasion, an optimistic woman made a leap of faith onto the train, trapping herself between the two sets of doors. I dread to think what could have happened if not for her neighbour's helping hand and vigorous pull.
As I arrived at Canary Wharf, a welcoming light bounced through the ticket hall's ceiling. Soon after, a feeling of dread crawled across my skin as I thought of my commute back home. Maybe I’ll break the bank and travel by boat.
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