Tube jams (aka Morning Commute vol 1)

Today I've got a new London experience: "tube jams".

I planned my commute to work to be 50 min long and I planned to read through my e-mails during this hour. I didn't succeed at either.

When I boarded a bus, which was supposed to take me to an underground station, all was fine. I live almost at the terminus of every bus line in that area, so most of the seats are empty when I enter.

So, first 15-20 mins of a bus ride I was indeed able to read. Then I disembarked, along with about 20 people and went down the funny twisted downhill road to the underground entrance.

This is where I had to stop. 

The gates leading to the escalators were just closed, there was a small crowd of people nervously looking at their phones and watches, and a polite female voice overhead informed every minute or so that the gates are closed because platforms below are overcrowded. As soon as they are less congested they will let us in.

We waited approximately for 10 mins, and I must say, noone complained. Maybe because 10 mins is nothing in London, and my planned arrival was delayed exactly by those 10 mins,i.e. otherwise transport runs smoothly. Maybe, because they are nice people. In any case, even when they opened one (just one) gate (of about 10 installed in total), people obediently passed one by one through this small "portal" onto the running escalator and down to the platform.

The trains were almost full. I am saying "almost", some other European would probably say "absolutely", but I've been to Moscow tube in rush hour. If you've been there too, you know what I mean. Here it was OK except I cannot read standing in between several people. Other people can, so I read what they read - London This Week - an article about where to go this weekend, a book, left anonymous to me, about some soldiers and armors and weapons. And so, I read until I realized I am on the wrong branch.

You see, Northern line I am using is tricky. It looks like this:

And I have to go from the rightmost branch of the upper split to the middle left branch of the lower split.

So, I had to take the right train while I was in the upper right branch. And I didn't.

Luckily, I realized my mistake before the train reached the second split. So, I pulled myself out at Camden Town (the dot on the crossroad above), went up and down the stairs and turned several times and arrived at another platform, boarded the coming train, which had less people inside and on I went. Halfway through the station I realized I am still on the wrong branch train. So much for changing platforms. Luckily (again) next station was Euston, where it is also possible to switch branches, which I did, this time correctly (I am not taking into account the fact that I first arrived at the platform heading North (back home) but looking at the 4 lonely people waiting for the train I quickly realized something was wrong there. Changing sides, and here I am - on the crowded Southbound platform again. Hoorray!) Two stops from there and I am in the center of the city, delayed only by 10 minutes in spite of changing trains 2 times.

Oh, did I mention that trains had to stop in the tunnel before every station because the previous train hadn't yet left the station. So, I must say the trains are indeed coming every 1-2 minutes in the morning.

Conclusions made: 

- 8 AM - 9 AM is definitely the rush hour

- the farther from the center I board the train, the better the chance to sit comfortably (although I consciously go to zone 3 (living in zone 4) to catch the Tube for purely economical reasons)

- boarding the right train will save me 10 more minutes

Tomorrow I am planning to start 10 mins earlier and see if it makes any difference.