In message . com, Neil
Williams writes
Ian Jelf wrote:

Non-Londoners will often go to extreme lengths to avoid the Tube. In
my experience, most prefer taxis, even where a simple bus transfer (or
sometimes even a walk, depending on luggage, would suffice.

Interesting - and I guess you probably know best by your job - but my
experience is that people will use the Tube as it's relatively easy to
understand -
Oh, absolutely.

The main reason that people have for not using the Tube in my experience
is fear of actually being in enclosed spaces underground.
(Interestingly, I've never had anyone cite fear of terrorism as a reason
for avoiding it.)

indeed, the geographical knowledge of London by a lot of
people I know is largely based (inaccurately, of course) on the Tube
map.
Yes and when they *do* use it, they usually comment on how easy it is to
understand for that reason.

During one of the anti-war demonstrations last year, my coach was unable
to get back to a pickup near Parliament Square and I took a group of
about 15 back to the Tower Thistle hotel on the District Line [1].
They were an elderly group who wouldn't have dreamed of doing so "on
their own". They actually loved it and to my amusement later told
other people in the group that it was one of the highlights of their
weekend in London!


[1] I was going to say "Tube" but someone would have come along
to.......well, you know!

Neil


--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk