I keep seeing these ‘funny’ adverts for transport suggestions during the Olympics…like suggesting that I should cycle instead of taking the tube because of all the amount of people using public transport, and then to rub salt to my pre-Olympic-Commuter-wounds, I see pictures of escalators rammed with people dressed up as birds.
(See right, equestrian on escalator, and below, a nice poster telling me to walk part of my 90 minute commute)
It doesn’t make me laugh in the slightest (well, perhaps me pretending to be an athlete as per left hand pic is admittedly laughable) it just reminds me what a nightmare travelling in London for the Olympics really is going to be like. In fairness, yes if I was your standard tourist, or London visitor, I would find these ‘light-hearted’ cartoons rather comical, but really, I think the pictures should be a bit like 'commuter squashed against tube door, underground stations closed, bus queues, frustrated city slickers and me moaning.
I unfortunately work at Bond St, so I am going to be hit hard by the Central Line and Jubilee. I get off at Stratford in the mornings, and my train stops at Stratford in the evenings. There is no way on earth I am going to miss this delightful event. I am just hoping that as the trauma of Olympic travelling sets in, that I start to appreciate this PR/Marketing campaign in order to cheer me up.
We cannot actually predict what it is going to be like, around an extra 2m people will be in London over the Olympics, so this will really be a test for London transport's infrastructure, and a real test on the average commuter’s nerves! I always like to know what people think is going to happen...so any opinions welcome below...
Please do prepare yourselves for some good old fashioned commuter rants, I reckon I could potentially win a Gold medal for it!
What do you think London transport is going to be like?
ReplyDeleteSorry but what do you expect tfl to do regarding advertising? They cannot magically double the capacity.
ReplyDeleteThe footfall in the tubes and the packed trains have long been a problem and I for one am happy about the olympics as it may force a change and cause a revamp
As if the Olympics will cause a revamp!! We have no budget for that.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, maybe TFL should have made their PR campaign more realistic and empathetic to the average traveller than making a joke out of it!
I don't think a new 'oyster card' holder is going to make a big difference - new stunt which i saw at Bond St today
ReplyDeleteThe only option is to take a loooooong holiday, over the whole olympics, and give your normal space (on tube bus etc) to a tourist/sports lover!
ReplyDeleteif only Bellamole!! x
ReplyDelete