London subway passengers stressed out

A survey on London’s subway train system has found over 80 per cent of passengers are stressed. The report is called ‘Too close for comfort: Passengers' experiences of the London Underground’. It was made by a London transport committee, who questioned more than 700 commuters. The findings paint an ugly picture of the famous railway system. The situation is so bad that the majority of travellers had to “psyche” themselves up before getting on a Tube train. People had to prepare mentally for their rail journey. Overcrowding was the biggest cause of discomfort. Over half of those questioned said they couldn’t get on the first train to arrive at a station because it was too full. Others said they hated being squashed against strangers. The London Underground carries more than 1 billion passengers a year. At the busiest times, there are four people per square metre packed onto the train. This has an impact on travellers’ behaviour. The report notes that the “overwhelming majority of passengers” think overcrowding is “a highly unpleasant and abnormal situation”. The committee listed a number of strategies people use to cope with travelling on the Tube. These include adopting a “dog-eat-dog” or “survival of the fittest” attitude, ignoring pregnant women who want to sit down, and switching off to what’s happening around them. One passenger said: “I’m a different animal on the Tube to normal life. I’m not me. I’m a bit less interested in others.”