From the very first day in London, I
could tell that things were going to be very different from what I was used to in
America. This conclusion was formulated from the moment I set foot on “the
tube” for the first time. When I want to get from point A to point B in
America, I usually just hop in my van-a nice spacious transportation system,
with a radio and air-conditioning-and drive to wherever need be. In London;
however, very few people own cars due to the expensiveness of owning one along
with the costly price of gas. Without a car, but a place to go, there leaves
the option of public transportation which is very common in Europe. With a
population of around eight million, one can imagine how crowed the subway,
better known as the “tube” in London, can get. It was midday when I rode the
tube for the first time; our group was on our way to ride the London Eye, the
journey to it was just as remember able as the Ferris wheel itself.
I stood close to the tracks of the
tube while looking down the tunnel in which the tube rides through and before I
knew it, there was what looked like a huge bus coming my way. I stepped back
from the tracks in fear, as the wind from the tube blew my hair back. The tube
came to a halt and the doors opened, simultaneously, my eyes widened and my jaw
dropped once I saw the massive amount of people crammed in one cart of the
tube. Next thing I knew we were being pushed inside the small space by our
teachers yelling, “move, move, get on, get on, fast, go!” I was standing in the
cart now, without warning it started to take off and I was jerked to the left,
almost falling on top of a stranger. It was at that moment in time when I
realized the concept of “personal space” no longer existed. I stood straight
up, holding onto the pole in the middle of the cart that I shared with many
others. As I stood there I could feel other people’s bodies touching me, some I
knew therefore it wasn’t too uncomfortable; however, when I turned around to
see who was touching my back side-I was looking into the eyes of a stranger. I
felt awkward and I was a tad crept out since strangers were so close to me-I
took a deep breath, clenched my pouch holding my passport and money for fear of
pick picketers (something I don’t worry about in America), and told myself I
better get used to it. Once I got over
the fact of no longer attaining personal space, I recognized how hot it was. I
was panting for air like a pug in eighty degree weather. Sweat dripped down my
face as I hoped to God our stop was coming up soon. Between drowsiness due to lack
of sleep on the plane, foot pain from standing for so long, dehydration,
overheating, and claustrophobia-I felt as if I was going to die. To be honest,
I was thinking about how awful it must have been for the Jewish captives who
were sent to concentration camps by train. I thought I had it bad, when in
reality I would only be on the tube for twenty minutes with one hundred or so
people, rather than days with hundreds and hundreds of people. I couldn’t even
imagine the suffering these poor people must have endured, I felt even gloomier
thinking about it. After thinking these depressing thoughts, our stop had
arrived. I rushed off the tube and the sensation of being able to breathe along
with a cool breeze had never felt so refreshing. Let’s just say I would prefer
the American system of transportation, that being a car that comes with the
luxury of sitting, not suffocating, over the European method.
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