Human touch underground and overground in London
Last updated 14/07/2008 02:02:19
As much as being the vibrant and exciting city that it is, London is also a place that can de-humanise each one of its inhabitants by challenging their endurance and stamina daily with tiresome routined conditions.
Conditions that can easily transform the city's people into millions of mechanical beings functioning to survive in the fast-run Capital.
However, little magical moments happen that instantly remind us that we are people. London 's transport network has many treasures. Not just its history and infrastructure but mostly in particular those people who use it. Whether they are commuters, or passengers, or travellers, or revellers ... trains and stations become those transition points that can connect human lives together.
In the last several months I have experienced two gem-of-a-moments that raised my commuter's spirit.
Before Christmas last year on one Saturday afternoon I was on my way home from work on the Bakerloo line. As usual, the carriage was crowded, warm and muggy, with little air that escaped through the ancient ventilation. The space felt heavy and weighted my exhaustion further. With no vacant seat I leaned against the glass screen attached to a row of restless commuters who I didn't pay attention to. I held on to the handrail as the tube stammered on disembarking from Maida Vale.
I let my heavy eyelids drop and tried to block-out the jovial Christmas shopping mood.