Monday, January 10, 2011

Tube To Uxbridge, The Flyover, and Oyster

Tomorrow we take the Tube into Uxbridge for Robin's class. Counting the walk to the Hammersmith Tube Station, the train ride, and then the walk from the Uxbridge Station to the Brunel Campus, we'll need close to two hours to get there.

No complaints, though. The Tube is usually pretty entertaining. Like watching someone put on their makeup. Or listening to personal phone conversations. I also like to keep track of how many people in a subway car are not wearing a black suit and black coat. Not many. The lady wearing yellow in the photo is a rare find. 

The Hammersmith Flyover was the first elevated highway in London so cars could avoid London traffic. The ramp and stairs lead to an underground tunnel that takes pedestrians under the Flyover and under the local streets to the Broadway shopping mall on the left. Inside the mall is the entrance to the Hammersmith Tube Station. Another pretty darn cool suggestion for Santa Fe traffic problems: flyovers and tunnels. Think about it.

Pre-paid Oyster Cards are cards that you use to tap in and tap out of subway turnstiles. A computer system keeps track of how much credit is on the card. Robin is "topping up" our Oyster cards with a credit card. She knows all the tricks.