Olympics travel? A non-aggressive sport

So hands up if you thought the tube would be a nightmare during the Olympics?

Hands up if you were wrong?

*raises hand on both*

It appears Boris successfully scared the professionals out of London during the Games.  I took the first week off and came into town the second week.

Far from being busy, it was actually more pleasant using the tube during the Olympics than usual. I got a seat for most journeys. Granted I timed my travel so it didn’t clash with the main locations and major events but overall, it was actually a rather enjoyable experience.

I’d made my peace with the likelihood of nightmare commutes before the Games began, safe in the knowledge that London 2012 would be worth it and then some.

And wasn’t that true. What a spectacle we put on for the world! Proud to be British doesn’t even cover it. Proud of Boris? I suppose that’s true too. Tears, lost voices, a renewed sense of community in Britain. All of the above.

We heard tales of tube drivers announcing Gold medals over the speaker system and carriages erupting with pure joy, passengers using the wi-fi at stations to get updates and then sharing them with fellow tube goers; and, of course, the obvious respect given to all the Games Makers and other volunteers who were visible in their Olympics uniforms using the tube.

Prior to the Opening Ceremony I had also braced myself for a total lack of tube etiquette on all London transport. I couldn’t have been more wrong - aside from a colleague’s tale of a six year old throwing a tantrum because too many people were on her tube and the mother apologising to all on her behalf - but basically that’s it. Remarkable!

Tourists were on the whole polite and friendly, and the sense of occasion meant that even the usual stroppy Londoners, the few that were left in town, were engaging in actual conversations with strangers on the tube.

I hope this continues: delightful spacious journeys to work amidst friendly smiling carriages and a sense of pride at what our country is achieving.

Sadly, I think that we can just about keep the momentum going through the Paralympics.  The minute that ends, inevitably we’ll all end up grumpy, cramped and cynical again, and I’ll be back to more standard tube etiquette fail content.  One positive, I expect sales of my book to go up. I’d rather be happier on my commute though…

Laura King is the author of ‘The Little Book of Tube Etiquette’ available for £4.99 at Waterstones, WH Smith and most online retailers.