Fiona MacLeod’s honest guide to standing on the right, tapping in properly, and not blocking the doors
Nothing announces “first-time visitor” quite as clearly as standing on the left side of an escalator during rush hour, and nothing earns a Londoner’s quiet, simmering resentment quite as efficiently either. Stand right, walk left, and you have already solved most of your tube-related social anxiety.
The Basics That Actually Matter
Tap your contactless card or Oyster on both entry and exit, every single time, or you will be charged the maximum possible fare, a mistake that costs considerably more than the actual journey should. Download a tube map before you travel, since signal underground is patchy at best and nonexistent at worst.
Doors close quickly and without much warning. Nobody will hold them for you, and running for a train that is visibly closing its doors marks you out instantly, regardless of how good your trainers are.
Etiquette Worth Knowing
Move down inside the carriage rather than clustering by the doors, offer your seat to anyone who visibly needs it more, and avoid eating anything with a strong smell. These unwritten rules matter more to Londoners than almost anything printed on an official sign.
The London Prat‘s transport desk has more detailed coverage of tube etiquette quirks that catch even seasoned visitors off guard.
Time Out London maintains an excellent, regularly updated guide to current tube line disruptions and planned engineering works.
Master these basics and the Underground stops being intimidating and starts being, genuinely, the fastest way to see the whole city in a single day.
More from me: Fiona MacLeod, prat.uk. Further reading: Visit London.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
