In message , vtk
writes
I'd go as far as saying, during peak times, all large luggage should be
banned, as should prams and people who don't know where they are going.


Yes, a guy with a machete to cut through the gormless tourists at Oxford
Circus...... now that is an idea :-)


--
Edward Cowling London UK

On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:42:17 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:

I was on the Victoria line tonight and to be honest it was crowded, but
the main problem wasn't the number of people, it's the amount they all
seem to carry with them these days.

Back pack culture ! Everyone seems to need a backpack and then of
course a laptop clutched under their armpit. All this carried high up
where there is no room anyway. Then when people get on or off all this
junk get stuck on other peoples similar loads and gets stuck.... they
get angry and snappy with each other, and it becomes unpleasant.

How much of this stuff is really needed ?

Plus of course we're using energy resources to move all this flotsam
around the city.

How about a campaign to encourage people for their own comfort and the
comfort of their fellow passengers, not to carry non essential baggage
at peak times ?

Yesterday I was on the District Line from Embankment to Victoria. The number
of backpackers with packs 1/2 their size was immense. When they turn, they
risk cold-cocking other passengers who can't dodge them.

I often wear a small backpack, but take it off when boarding buses or Tube
trains. These packs are too big to remove and carry.

There are rules against bicycles at certain times of day and on certain lines.
Why not a "Backpacks must be carried" rule?

Chris "Especially since you have to carry dogs on the escalators." Hansen
--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com
|http://www.christianphansen.com or
|http://www.livejournal.com/users/chrishansenhome

On 29 Sep 2006 08:06:29 -0700, wrote:


Q wrote:

There is/was a rule about taking big objects (including cases) on the
LUL over a certain size.

I'm sure that would be fun for LUL to try and enforce, but maybe they
should - I would make life so much nicer for those people who don't want
running over and blocking by 4' rolling cases

I've seen posters reminding people of this rule at Tottenham Hale.
They were aimed at people trying to take flat-pack furniture home from
IKEA Edmonton.

Once many years ago, when I lived in New York, I got on the subway and sat
down. A few stations later two people got on carrying a sofa (obviously they
were moving house on the cheap). They put the sofa in the area between doors
and sat down on it until they got to their stop, when they carried it off
again.

And I myself helped a friend move flats in Paris (he didn't have much
furniture, only personal effects). He was a clothing designer, and thus had
paraphernalia related to that profession.

Chris "Thus I found myself on the Métro carrying a dressmaker's dummy." Hansen
--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com
|http://www.christianphansen.com or
|http://www.livejournal.com/users/chrishansenhome

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 09:31:55 +0100, Christian Hansen
wrote:

There are rules against bicycles at certain times of day and on certain lines.
Why not a "Backpacks must be carried" rule?

To which the (smart arse) answer is "I am carrying it - on my back".

To be fair there have been plenty of posters and signs on the trains
asking people to be considerate when travelling with backpacks and to
take care if they move suddenly because of the risk of swiping someone.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

In article , Christian
Hansen writes

Once many years ago, when I lived in New York, I got on the subway and sat
down. A few stations later two people got on carrying a sofa (obviously they
were moving house on the cheap). They put the sofa in the area between doors
and sat down on it until they got to their stop, when they carried it off
again.

I've moved a divan bed (in two parts) and mattress across London by
tube. But not at peak time.

--
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com

Small backpacks don't usually bother me too much (I often carry a guitar
across London when I'm doing studio work, so I can't really complain)
but what really annoys me is the huge craze for square "suitcase on
wheels" thingies.

These things could become quite a hazard. Even in non-threatening
situations, like hurrying for a train, I'll judge my quickest route
across the station concourse (particularly Victoria) by scanning the
general movement of people's heads. If I see a gap, I'll make a beeline
for it. However, you don't see the slow moving suitcase-on-wheels until
you're practically falling over it. Imagine the same thing happening in
a stressful evacuation scenario.

Still, it *is* very satisfying to give the things a quick kick as you
dodge them... watch the owner try to wrestle it back on course ;-)


adrian

--
http://www.spaghetti-factory.co.uk
http://www.custom-transcription.com

Adrian Clark wrote:
Small backpacks don't usually bother me too much (I often carry a
guitar across London when I'm doing studio work, so I can't really
complain) but what really annoys me is the huge craze for square
"suitcase on wheels" thingies.

These things could become quite a hazard. Even in non-threatening
situations, like hurrying for a train, I'll judge my quickest route
across the station concourse (particularly Victoria) by scanning the
general movement of people's heads. If I see a gap, I'll make a
beeline for it. However, you don't see the slow moving
suitcase-on-wheels until you're practically falling over it.

If you're moving so fast that you're in danger of "falling over" a large
suitcase that you've failed to notice, it sounds as if your speed
through a crowded concourse is itself a hazard. Don't complain about
other people if you can't be bothered to adjust your speed to the
conditions.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

On 30/09/2006 01:07, vtk wrote:
I'd go as far as saying, during peak times, all large luggage should be
banned, as should prams and people who don't know where they are going.

The rule should be, if your journey is not to/from work or totally necessary
then you should not travel at peak time.

Yes! Can we!! Pleaseeeeee....

Snip

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
I was on the Victoria line tonight and to be honest it was crowded, but
the main problem wasn't the number of people, it's the amount they all
seem to carry with them these days.

Back pack culture ! Everyone seems to need a backpack and then of
course a laptop clutched under their armpit. All this carried high up
where there is no room anyway. Then when people get on or off all this
junk get stuck on other peoples similar loads and gets stuck.... they
get angry and snappy with each other, and it becomes unpleasant.

How much of this stuff is really needed ?

Plus of course we're using energy resources to move all this flotsam
around the city.

How about a campaign to encourage people for their own comfort and the
comfort of their fellow passengers, not to carry non essential baggage
at peak times ?



Just some notes (because I've lost track of who I agree and disagree
with):

Sometimes people have to take stuff with them, and one day it may be
you. What has "culture" got to do with it?

Backpacks are designed for carrying.

Suitcases are designed for stacking.

Backpacks can easily be carried up stairs and escalators and through
barriers, while suitcases cause blockages and delays.

Backpacks worn on the back are a real hazard and waste of space when
they are not actually being carried as such, eg when standing in a
train.

Taking off a large backpack takes a few seconds and a little bit of
space, which the people complaining often aren't prepared to give.

Some people are perfectly capable of carrying their backpack as long as
they don't take it off. Once it's at their feet, they have no means of
getting it back on their back other than maybe dragging it to a bench,
which don't exist on many modern platforms (eg JLE, DLR), which may
tempt some smaller people to keep them on in the train.

vtk wrote:

The rule should be, if your journey is not to/from work or totally necessary
then you should not travel at peak time.

My journey, with luggage, is to and from work. It occurs once a week
in each direction.

The Tube is not just for daily commuting. Indeed, when I was doing so
I avoided it like the plague and used buses instead; the only reason I
don't do that now is that it takes a very long time and about 3 buses
to get Euston to LCY without using Tube and DLR.

Neil