Did you know there are over a billion journeys a year taken on the London Underground, so it’s perhaps not surprising it has it’s own set of etiquette rules.
Visiting London and especially being thrust onto the London Underground network for the first time can seem a rather daunting prospect, but follow these rules and no one will ever think you’re a tourist.
It should be stressed that the London Underground is massively safer, has much less crime and is friendlier to the traveller than almost any other underground network in the world, but these points will just help you use it a little easier.
1) Avoid eye contact with anyone, except people you actually know…usually that look of “what was our stop called?”.
For those who come from less populated areas, this seems a little strange, but it is something which exists both on the underground and elsewhere in London. Personally I think it was a New York thing that spread, but it’s just best to humour the locals.
2) Alongside this, making conversation with a total stranger is also not generally recommended. Sometimes it will work, but it’s mostly because Brits are possibly more reserved than other nations. Also there’s the rule that “only oddballs talk to strangers”, which is occasionally true but in my experience there are more oddballs on the surface than the Tube.
3) Even if you’re madly in love with your travelling partner, it’s best to keep the kissing until you get off the train. When crammed into a train like that, your fellow passengers might not appreciate the gesture, especially in the evening rush hour. That said, you can sometimes find no other choice on more crowded trains.
4) Do remember that the underground is nice and warm so rather good for bacteria, so one of those water free handwash bottles is probably a good idea once you’ve exited the train and before eating.
5) The underground is split into zones, with zone 1 being the inner most and cheapest. For most tourists, you won’t get past zone 2 so buying a “zone 1 & 2 day pass” is probably by far the cheapest way to travel. Just double check on the many underground maps what zone you need to be in for that day’s travel.
Another option is the Oyster Card which you can top up in various locations and charges you for the journey you made. I’ve not used one, but Londoner’s swear by them, although if you’re doing multiple journeys a day this might work out slightly more expensive than a zone pass.
6) Seats are precious things on the underground and Londoner’s often say you’ve just got to go for one when they appear. In my experience however, unless you’re travelling to the outer reaches such as Heathrow or you need to sit down for various reasons, it’s usually not worth the hassle.
Although they may fight tooth and nail for a seat, the usual etiquette about giving up your seat for elderly, pregnant or people with sticks still applies. We are Brits afterall.
7) On the subject of seats, to put it vaguely as I have no idea if you’re eating your dinner reading this, it is always a good idea to watch where you’re sitting and maybe give it the tap with the fingers test. Not everyone on the underground is quite so in tune with the etiquette, although in my experience at least I’ve never had any problems.
8) London is probably one of the safest cities on the planet, but do remember that not everyone has your best intentions at heart. You might be surprised to learn that you’re much more likely to be pick-pocketed on the station platform than on the trains so do remember to keep your hand on your money / cards at all times. Inside pockets and money belts aren’t a good idea either.
9) This might be obvious, but it’s not good etiquette to start reading the headlines of the paper someone else has bought. There are often lots left on the underground, plus lots of free ones around giving information about what’s on in London.
10) If you don’t like crowded spaces then it might be better to walk anytime between about 8.30am and 9.30, or 4pm to 6pm as that’s when the underground really fills up with people trying to get to work.
It might not be quite as bad as in this video, but the underground really does jam up a lot at that time of day – those billion journeys have to all be made on not a lot of trains.
Follow these simple rules and you’ll find the London Underground is a breeze. Just be careful as you might start to get rather addicted to life underground.
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