Bombing The Tube

I know it's stupid, especially from someone who now has been living in London for more than 6 months, but today I was coming out from the Tube and, having some rubbish to throw, I asked myself, and my friend M. as well, why there are no bins in the stations?!

M. looked at me, actually stared at me, saying: "it's because of terrorist bomb attacks, did not you know that?!"

I have never linked the lack of bins in the Tube to terrorist attacks, it was pretty obvious to me and I felt so stupid.

Anyway, I remember about the bomb attack in the Tube on 7 July 2005.
I was 16 years old and I remember my friend G., who was on holiday in London, calling me saying that there was a suicide bomber in the Tube and that she escaped for miracle, just because she missed that train.

I was really shocked, but I was living that event from the point of view someone who was out of the UK, a kind of "untouched" viewer.



Three bombs exploded within fifty seconds of each other on three London Underground trains. It was 8.50 a.m. and as usual, the Tube was busy and full of passengers.

The first bomb exploded on a eastbound Circle line sub-surface train between Liverpool Street and Aldgate.

The second bomb exploded on the second carriage of a westbound Circle line sub-surface train between Edgware Road and Paddington.

The third bomb was on a southbound Piccadilly line deep- level train between King's Cross St. Pancras and Russell Square; the zone where I live now, the stations I most go to.



I remember now when I was just arrived in London and the first thing my mother told me was: "be careful when you take the underground!!!...you never know what those damn terrorists are going to do!"
I just replayed:" yes, yes mum...ah, ah...yes, yes..I will... byeeee" listening at half of what she was saying to me, as usual.
My mum, as any other mum, has always been annoyingly anxious, especially since I am here in London, but now, thinking about her words, even if I thought I would have never said that, she was right.

This morning I went to King's Cross St. Pancras to take the Piccadilly line towards Holloway road where my University is.

Taking the Tube is always the same, boring daily torture, going this order:

1: being squeezed in the lift with that annoying "STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS", which goes on for ages till there is no more oxygen in the lift and people give up, waiting for the next one.

2: getting, or at least trying, to get to the platform before the train you need to take leaves, doing a slalom between those tricky people who stand stuck in the middle of the stairs, talking about the weather and stuff, making you arrive at the platform just 20 seconds after the doors have been closed!

This is pretty annoying, and the worst thing is that it happens every single day, but today, something new, an unexpected event made my day in the Tube.



I was standing at the platform waiting for the train, staring at random advertisements, still half asleep, when suddenly the scream of an apparently terrified woman helped in waking up, definitely.

At first I thought: "ah, freak people...never mind", but then, when two huge rats passed close to my feet, I screamed as well. That is that kind of emotions that you don't want to feel early in the morning at the beginning of a very stressful day, it doesn't help you at all!

That was the first time I have ever seen a rat so clearly and closely, but apparently, is something I need to get used to as London Underground is populated by those huge rodents.
You see, many people think that the Tube is boring and depressing, but actually, there are some exiting emotions, like this one, that only the London Underground can offer.

Certainly the Tube is not the cleanest place in London and the fact that it suits rats so well makes people think that there might be something unhealthy and unsanitary.

I have a question now, a big doubt: if rats are well known as inhabitants of the Underground along the network and sometimes also take the trains through it, shall they have their Oyster card or are they generously funded by Transport of London?

London Underground in 2012

London Underground is the main way of transport used in London, actually, it's not only a railway network, it's also one of the most popular peculiarity of the English capital.

Everyday I see loads of tourists who, instead of taking pictures of monuments, spend hours studying funny poses in front of the London Underground stations, with the big logo in the background.
In Summer 2012 London will be the location of the Olympic Games, an event of great importance which requires some changing in transports, especially in the Underground railway.

One of the target of this project is an extension of the Jubilee line from Green Park, trough Docklands to Stratford.

Tube Lines is investing a lot in modernizing tube stations ahead of the Olympic Games and also working on the Jubilee Line and on the Green Park station, to provide a full step free access for people with physical disabilities or too heavy luggage.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ''I am determined for every resident and visitor to this city, whether able bodied or with disability, to be able to use public transport safely and easily."



This project is expected to be completed in 2011 as London will also host the Paralympic Games consisting of the enlargement of the Piccadilly south side entrance and a new direct access from the park.

''We are working closely with Westminster City Council and The Royal Parks to improve the area around the station - these changes will create a better public space for all those who work, visit or live near Green Park.'' said Richard Parry, Director of Strategy and Service Development for London Underground.

Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Chairman John Armitt said that the first purpose of this huge project is to provide a wider and more efficient variety of journey options to and from London 2012 for spectators, Game families, workforce and volunteers.