For a while now I’ve been hearing of this show on BBC2 called “The Tube.” A simple six-part documentary about the London Underground. I started watching it tonight and was instantly pulled in. There’s just something about a good documentary on the BBC that really gets me (see: Junior Doctors on BBC4).
While I was watching I couldn’t resist tweeting some of the things mentioned, like this gem of an exchange:
Interviewer: “Where do the trains go from here (once the station closes)?”
Underground Worker: “The depot. Go into their bedrooms and have a little kip for the night.”
Two things. I might have chuckled a little too loudly at this (I love English humor) and the word “depot” is not pronounced DEE-poh. Like in “Home Depot” with a long “e” but “DEEP-oh” like Johnny Deep’s last name, plus “oh”. You try it. DEEP-oh. Short “e” sound. Good.
Anyway, while I was watching I started jotting down some interesting facts and figures (I just can’t enjoy TV, I must take notes like a student). For example, did you know that over 3 million people, that’s half the entire population of London, use the underground on Saturdays?
Me either.
I’m desperate to get my memories down in writing and because I don’t have a historian or biographer following me around, I’ll have to do it myself. Since The Tube has caught my attention, I’m going to use it as a good launching pad for some reminiscing of my time spent on public transit. It’ll try to break it into six parts like the show and do a different Metro with fun facts (about that metro and The Tube).
The series should go in this order:
D.C. / London / Paris / Rome / Germany / English trains in general
Stay tuned, I should have that post about the DC Metro (my first ever public transit experience) up before the weekend!