Do Londoners have a skewed sense of distance?

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Shall I explain the joke I made?

I said 'No, but their ignorant as ****.' Which, in the context of the situation was pretty ironic. There. It was a joke.

You're an idiot.

Reply 21

Jessaay!

Original post by elandar

-In my city, to walk from my house to the centre of town would take about 20 mins. Most of my friends in london would take the tube to travel the same distance, even if that means waiting for trains and walking through a half mile of subterranean passages.

-One of my other friends from London told me that Covent Gardens and Leicester square are incredibly close, but that most people will also take the underground for that.

-Also, when I go 20 mins by train to go clubbing in a bigger city nearby, my london friends seem to think its a massive distance yet they may go from one end of london to the other for a night out which can be like 40 mins on the tube. Because its all the same city they seem to think its less of a travel.

Has anyone else noticed stuff like this?

That's not true. Only for the tourists who don't understand. If you're from london you're not such an idiot- spending £1.60 or whatever it is to go a distance which can be walked faster isn't the way we go.

Things can seem a bit different distance wise in london, just because of the london roads and the fact london is such a large place.

Reply 22

r3l4x3d

Original post by Steezy

You're an idiot.

That was a pretty funny post, but it was made even funnier when I imagined it said in your whiney little 12 year old voice.

Reply 23

username310124

Original post by Lizia

But why would you walk 35 minutes when the bus can get you there in fifteen, or the tube in five?

Good exercise, walking is fun, saving money, not clogging up transport, walking in the fresh air rather than sat next to some stinky person, etc.

If it wasn't pissing it down ofc.

Reply 24

W.H.T

The smell of the London underground :sogood:

Reply 25

Lizia

Original post by CB91

Good exercise, walking is fun, saving money, not clogging up transport, walking in the fresh air rather than sat next to some stinky person, etc.

If it wasn't pissing it down ofc.

Walking for twenty minutes doesn't make much difference if you're relatively healthy anyway. I walked to school every day for seven years and I wasn't noticeably fitter than I am now. A lot of people find walking as boring as hell, and most people in London have a travel card so it doesn't save them money. Transport is there to be used so you're hardly "clogging" it by using it, not many people actually smell bad :dontknow:

And to be honest, I pretty much always have something I'd rather be doing than walking, whether I'm in London or not.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 26

Jessaay!

Original post by CB91

Good exercise, walking is fun, saving money, not clogging up transport, walking in the fresh air rather than sat next to some stinky person, etc.

If it wasn't pissing it down ofc.

Sure. But not everyone has the time to walk for 35 minutes. If I'm going to lectures, I don't want to get up earlier just so I can walk in the cold and tire myself out before I even get there. I also have better things to do when I finish lectures than spend the time walking.

It's not just londoners who do this, it's hard to find anyone in any particular area who'd spend 35 minutes walking when they've got alternatives that will take them a few minutes.

That and walking is hardly massively good exercise. I'd rather spend that extra time I'd save from not havng to walk everywhere in the gym or going for a run/doing a sport.

Reply 27

Annie72

To be quite honest I've used the tube rather than walk whenever I've been there even if it was for just one stop, but then I do that because I'm worried about getting lost in London.

Reply 28

arabie

i'm a londoner and the only thing i walk for is the bus stop

Reply 29

Ewan

Original post by Jessaay!

This is very true, especially in the example the OP made. Only an idiot would take the tube for that distance simply because the roads are heavily pedestrianised & taking the tube isn't practical. The rule for me is generally never to take the tube for less than 2 stops, if the place your heading is next to a main road the bus might be faster but not always. Anyone who's lived in London a while, and knows the area they're heading will know if this is the case or not. Not to mention the fact that the goddamn elevators never seem to be there when you want them (Covent Garden), forcing you to either wait or run up a huge flight of stairs xD

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 30

JoeLatics

Original post by r3l4x3d

Shall I explain the joke I made?

I said 'No, but their ignorant as ****.' Which, in the context of the situation was pretty ironic. There. It was a joke.

What's funny is that you misspelled "they're" at least twice, whilst branding other people ignorant.

Reply 31

childofthe90s

It's practically criminal to walk in London when you can take the tube.

Reply 32

r3l4x3d

Original post by JoeLatics

What's funny is that you misspelled "they're" at least twice, whilst branding other people ignorant.

Believe it or not this is the internet where alot of people use shortcuts for words regardless of THEIR true meaning because THEY'RE in a rush.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 33

Jessaay!

Original post by Ewan

A lot of students have travel cards so they take the tube as much as possible. Take it from me, if you do not own a travel card, you will walk A LOT while living in London. In London it's all about the cost/time balance: living in zone 2 (border)-3 you need a travel card because it takes simply too long to walk, living in zone 2 (usually less than 35minutes walk to uni) it makes sense to walk. I don't think distance has any bearing really, fact is that in almost all cases it's quicker to take the bus or tube (exceptions like Oxford St are a given). If taking the bus or tube is 'free' for you (ie no added cost over your daily to-from university travel) then the question is why wouldn't you?

This is very true, especially in the example the OP made. Only an idiot would take the tube for that distance simply because the roads are heavily pedestrianised & taking the tube isn't practical. The rule for me is generally never to take the tube for less than 2 stops, if the place your heading is next to a main road the bus might be faster but not always. Anyone who's lived in London a while, and knows the area they're heading will know if this is the case or not. Not to mention the fact that the goddamn elevators never seem to be there when you want them (Covent Garden), forcing you to either wait or run up a huge flight of stairs xD

I very rarely take the tube unless it's for a few stops, I agree with your 2 stop rule. Sometimes I'll take it from, for example, warren street to camden but that's generally to save time/when it's really cold. It depends on a few factors really. I live in Pimlico, so it's easy to get the tube into uni but the bus takes a while especially during rush hour because it has to go through all the main tourist places, but it's relatively quick during the evening.

Reply 34

Jessaay!

Original post by r3l4x3d

Believe it or not this is the internet where alot of people use shortcuts for words regardless of THEIR true meaning because THEY'RE in a rush.

Funny how they're is only 2 characters more than their, and the rest of your typing isn't shortened at all. That, and you're apparently in a rush yet you've been posting quite regularly on this thread.

I think someone can't accept THEIR errors. You seem to also be under the impression you're hilarious.

Reply 35

Jessaay!

Also what is it with people talking about the smell? In all seriousness I've rarely been overcome by an extremely unpleasant smell on the underground, sometimes in summer, but I imagine the people who are posting about the smell are being pretty presumptuous.

Reply 36

r3l4x3d

Original post by Jessaay!

Funny how u has two less letters than you and that's considered slang. Can't you see the flaw in your line of arguement? Also, I never said I was in a rush, I'm just saying that's why slang is used (to write stuff down faster).

And I never tried to make a joke, it's just that the majority of London is pretty ignorant. People pushing to get onto tubes, queue jumping etc. I'm sorry you saw it as a joke.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 37

mollymustard

I think this is quite genralised really. I think quite a few people only take the tube over short distances as they are afraid of getting lost. Most of me/my friends and relatives tend to walk but that's probably as we are londoners and comfortable with the directions.

Totally agree with you point about nights out! Sometimes ill tube it for 45 mins but somehow that sounds so much quicker than an overground train ride!