TLC: The London Commute
Many Londoners often complain about the commute, I’ve started to find it more bareable. I see it as rather therapeutic in my usual days of chaos.
Everyday, I will attempt to create a professional, articulate, hilarious and modern take on my day of thought or action. Inspired by Casey Neistat who created a vlog everyday for 450 straight days. I will call it: 365MeThoughts
To find the acronyms that are at the top, go to my Instagram page everyday and see what the images are and see if you can figure it out…
I had a thoroughly enjoyable day today. However, I want to save the tales of the day until tomorrow when I know I’ll have more time to devote to the topic.
Today, I want to share a short narrative about how I feel Londoners internally benefit from a public transportation commute to and from work or university.
London is a congested city. There are a lot of cars, people and unwanted air pollution that amalgamates into problematic conditions for pedestrians and drivers alike. The capital city attracts businesses from around the world, those businesses require a workforce. And because not everyone is a millionaire, most Greater Londoners commute from suburbia. I’m the same.
My morning commute is often peaceful (in terms of people, internally all journeys are rather stress-free). Everyone in the financial sector have many their money moves for the morning and are cooped up in their office buildings. The fun begins on the way back home.
Rush hour is what infuriates so many Londoners. Oftentimes, everyone exchanges dirty looks and faces of disgust. Everyone has very little patience and a lot to complain about. I present an interesting paradox at this very moment.
Imagine being packed into a tube like pictured above, with 100 other people you’ve never met. Not able to move let alone breathe. You can’t read the Evening Standard, you’re alone with your own thoughts and have to contend with others in a confined space for some time. Limited as it may be.
We’re quick to blame others in our lives for our mistakes or for our misfortunes. But for approximately 10 minutes of my day on a tube, I have been stripped of all human rights. I have no personal space, no room to manouevre. I’m surrounded by my fellow Londoners and explorers. It’s a time to appreciate your position in the world.
While people might struggle to gain an inch on their neighbour, most of the time people tend to suppress their anger and stand in solidarity. We’re all on the same mission. Get home. People can adopt an interesting one-track mind where their lives sit above others. If that was actually the case, you would fork out the extra cash for an Uber and suffer the horrendous London road traffic than stand with 100 other commoners. The barrier to perception and understanding others is completely broken down on the tube.
Most of us get some rest bite from the tube when we take a short walk between underground station and National Rail station. The fresh, crisp and bitterly cold air is often a relief. Yet, most of us yearn for the warmth created by close and proximate humans piled one on top each other in a confined space. The heat created by people in one space can cause fainting and the TfL often advise to carry a bottle of water. As we are never satisfied as humans, our needs and wants are always amongst the highest rung of possibilities — the commute home from work/ university allows us to understand where and how you got to that point.
You might hate that current situation. You might loathe the whole experience on the outside. But you grow every time you endure over-heated conditions and a lack of personal space. All you take for granted disappears for those 60 mins home. It makes home seem more enjoyable and relaxing.
That’s why I’m thankful for the commute home, I save money and I feel more empowered when I return to the house. It’s quite extraordinary…
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