The Love/Hate Relationship

I love/hate the Underground tube.

For so long I praised public transportation. What a miraculous idea --- public transportation. I pay. I ride. No traffic. No gas tank to fill. No worries.

For those of you unfamiliar with the London Underground (or the "tube"), there are several lines that run throughout the city. I live near the Queen's Park stop on the Bakerloo line. I have a great commute to work every morning. Most people have to switch trains to get on different lines, but not me. I take Queen's Park all the way down to the Elephant & Castle station... without ever having to switch trains.

This morning I arrived to Queen's Park platform 2 to find a sea of people staring at an empty train. I couldn't understand why they weren't boarding. Finally I heard an official say over the P.A. that the fire brigade was investigating a fire alarm set off at Piccadilly Circus. All trains on the Bakerloo were to be shut down.
Great. What now?
I got out my "London, A-Z" atlas. It would be a 6 mile walk to work. Hmm.
I could take a bus but it would only take me about a third of the way and then I'd have to search for another bus (or 2) to complete the journey.

Time wasn't on my side. I always leave with just enough time to arrive a few minutes before my shift.

The announcer came back on the P.A. and said that the Bakerloo line would run, but only to Paddington station. Bingo. I jumped on. At Padddington I had to switch trains and ride quite a bit out of the way. I switched to another train yet again before finally reaching my final destination of Elephant & Castle. Due to one line being shut down, the other train lines were crowded beyond belief. We were like sardines in a tiny train-shaped can.

People all around me are hanging on for dear life by the handles and bars on the train. I don't like being a sardine with my face smashed in a stranger's armpit. And I was 35 minutes late for work.
That is why I love/hate the tube.