On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 06:07:00 +0000, Kat
wrote:

In message , Paul Corfield
writes
On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 14:16:37 +0000, Kat
wrote:

I'm fine at showing people best routes to use on the Underground but
does anyone have any ideas about the most useful ten/twenty bus routes
to learn?
The ones I know well are, 279, 253, 29, 8 (plus 25 and other local ones)

What a question - useful in what context?

Ah Paul, you obviously have no idea how important the local tube station
is as a centre of the community these days. Many people come in, who
have no intention of using the Underground, for all sorts of
information. (Often not concerned with travel at all)

Oh I do have some inkling. I have done some limited station duties -
revenue inspections, that sort of thing - and in addition to the
swearing and cursing you do get asked all sorts of stuff. I can recall
coming away from those duties with a very sore head indeed as my poor
brain struggled to answer the myriad of questions.

Ironically one of the hardest things is to respond quickly to "how do I
get to Ickenham?" type question when you are at Seven Sisters or
somewhere miles away. Despite knowing the Tube Map and London geography
well it always took far longer than expected to provide an "instant"
answer. You're then looked at as if you are barmy because you *must*
surely know how to get there as you work for the Underground!

If you want alternatives to
the Tube then that gives you one list. If you want routes that might get
you somewhere useful or to an alternative station or line that's
something else again.

At various times I've been asked the best way to get to Slough, the A13
and Stansted by road. I am often asked the best way to places by bus
too.

I don't doubt it.

I just asked the question because I could see two obvious scenarios for
you. The first one being "how do I get to x because the Tube isn't
running now?" or "how do I get to x station on the other line because
the y line isn't working". Hence the list of radial trunk services plus
some of the important orbital routes.

The other was to try to list routes that are local to Mile End / East
London which actually provide a good local alternative to the Tube
network because they "go round the corner" or just simply offer a more
frequent direct service than changing one or two times on the Tube. I
can still recall flat hunting in North London and going everywhere by
Tube when a bus would have done the trip in half the time.

We don't keep bus-maps on the station... something I'm trying to remedy
but for now I go to the Travel Info place at Liverpool Street and beg a
few bus maps from them.

I thought all ticket offices got a supply of them? How very silly if
that policy has been changed.

Thanks for your list; it seems very comprehensive.

No problem.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!