notes from underground

In comparison to the New York subway, London's Underground has many obvious advantages:

• Regular service
• Clear signage and pre-recorded announcements
• Good integration with overground rail
  
• A generally polite ridership

All of these qualities ought to combine to offer a pleasant and effective commuting experience, so why is it that I find riding the Tube to be utterly exhausting??

For starters, I think it has to do with the layout of the system itself. Have a look at the NYC subway map:

Because of the shape of the island of Manhattan the lines are predominantly vertical, thus the effectiveness of the express train (a concept unknown in London), which allows you to travel long distances quickly. Coming in to Manhattan from the outer boroughs you might ride for a long time, but you're likely to be on the same train for a while, which allows for enjoyable experiences like long, uninterrupted reading.

So far, traveling a comparable distance in the London Underground has generally meant switching lines two or more times. If you look at the map of the Tube you'll see that the amorphous, un-planned layout of London requires a much more intricate system of interlocking lines:

Furthermore, switching from one line to another doesn't simply mean stepping off the platform and waiting for another train to come along -- it has generally meant exiting the train and entering a labyrinthine series of tunnels, passageways, stairs and escalators before one gets to the other line, then riding for three stops and doing it all over again. Some of the lines feel so far underground that I wouldn't be surprised to end up in Fraggle Rock!
The Tube website says that there is one continuous length of tunnels that goes on for 17.25 miles!!! On several of my journeys, I've felt that I've spent more time walking through these underground passages than I have on the train itself.

Other unpleasant features:

• The trains are not air conditioned
  
• The ceilings of cars on the Tube slope in, increasing one's sense of claustrophobia
• They are upholstered with tacky fabric that looks like something off of the Fung Wah bus
  
• The cars seem to be narrower, meaning that two people cannot stand abreast in the aisle between the seated passengers
• There is virtually no noise or conversation EVER on the train or platform

For some, that last quality might be seen as an advantage, since New York trains can often be so noisy that one finds it impossible to concentrate on anything. In my experience, however, the crush of people and sounds -- the chaotic rhythm of the New York subway system -- tends to have a propulsive effect. It hurtles you forward, sending you out into the streets with with a driving momentum that helps you get where you need to go.

By contrast, the experience of riding the Tube seems to consist mostly of people walking through corridors or riding on escalators in orderly lines. Despite the overall cleanliness of these passageways (or perhaps because of it??), there's something creepily Orwellian about the experience. On me it produces a draining effect, a sapping of energy.
My commute from Brooklyn used to be a good 45-60 minutes into the city, but I always looked forward to it. The Tube website estimates that my new commute from the apartment to my school will take only 28 minutes - but with two transfers. What kind of effect this journey will have on me when completed two times a day remains to be seen....