Mind the Tube: Ode from the Girl Who Never Commutes

Commuting to work in London is far beyond anything that I would have imagined. People have been telling me to get to know the buses, but I brushed it off and figured that I could cross that bridge at a later time- at least a week after being here! Well, instead I was thrown right in to the thick of things on my very first day of work!

I am currently living only two Tube stops away from work, on the fastest Tube line. According to Transport for London, my journey whilst on the Tube should only take 4 minutes. So, I thought leaving for work 20 minutes before I needed to be there would be plenty of time. How naive....

First, I forgot that since this is the fastest Tube line, it's also the deepest one. It probably took 5-10 minutes just for me to get down to the platform among the massive escalators and hallways. I also did not expect there to be a massive queue for the Tube when I arrived at the station. Literally there were enough people in line to fill the whole train....and I was smart enough to realize at this point that since it's "rush hour" the trains were probably already filled to the brim.

This was true, trains would come by and barely anyone could get on the train. If you were lucky enough to get on the current train, then you were crammed in barely inches away from a ton of strangers.

However, nothing prepared me for the Tube completely shutting down! Yes, on my FIRST day of work in a new country, the Tube line I was on completley shut down. I found out later that this was even an unusual situation for the most seasoned Tube travelers. Apparently there was a huge power outage and 2,000 people were stuck underground for 3 hours...eventually having to CLIMB to safety in the dark Tube tunnels! I guess I should be thankful my situation wasn't that bad, but I'm still a little bitter heh.

So, imagine my heart sinking as I realize I have 7 minutes left to get to work and the Tube just stopped running! I attempt to walk (which is supposed to take 26 min), but of course get lost. Then I see a bus with the sign "London Bridge" on it- which is where I need to be. I think this is probably my best shot....I guess I had this crazy idea that maybe when the Tube shuts down they open Express buses that take you to the next station...not sure what I was thinking! Amongst my panicking I realize that the bus is not taking me directly to where I need to be...instead it takes 45 minutes to go up and down several streets (further confusing me) before it finally gets to the station I need it to.

When the bus stops, I run off in the direction I think I need to go in.....only to find that I've gotten turned around and lost again! I eventually make it to my destination....wrinkled clothes, hot mess, heart pumping and 1 hour 20 min from when I departed.....

What a London Lesson!

(update: Now I leave for work 45 minutes before my desired arrival time, which leaves me time to get a much needed coffee in the morning. I should probably just walk or take the bus, but I have this system down now. It takes about 2-3 trains to come before I can get on the Tube after waiting in line. Before departure, I refresh the Tube Service Updates on the Transport For London website right until the minute before I leave for work to make sure there are no severe delays. I also have looked up a better bus route as well as have directions on how to walk to my office written down in my planner.)