How Do People Find Seats on the London Underground - Research Paper Example

How do people find seats on the London Underground‏ Contents Introduction 3 Observation 3 An overview of the London Underground (The Tube) 4 Analysis4 Buying tickets online 4 Choosing where to get the train from 4 Maps and Navigation tools 5 Planning the journey according to the tube timetable 5 Core Reflections 5 Interview excerpts from a few passengers 6 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction The study focuses on how people get the seats when travelling in the underground trains of London, UK and the steps used by them during their travel. The main factors which were observed and evaluated during this observation were the methods and techniques used by people to catch the TUBE and more importantly how they are able to find the seats there. Observation was used for the study design and for assessment and analysis of the attitude individuals in the study focus upon. Observation Time 5.30 Pm Observation done on London residents and expatriates City London Location UK underground train Observation The observation took place on a relatively busy Monday evening at 5.30pm. The location our observation is a UK underground train with a range of medium to large passengers in the train. Although the weather was quite cold, I still decided to go out and observe how the people are able to travel in what is known to be one of the busiest public transport vehicles in the world. The London underground is a mammoth travel place. It has been divided into six different travel zones, with travel tickets being priced relatively differently and they are valid only within a few specific zones and a few time zones. It helped me to check which zones I was traveling in and I made sure my ticket is able to cover each and every territory I wanted to travel. Traveling in the evening specifically in peak times, one should make sure you that he has bought a ticket which is valid for the travel. An overview of the London Underground (The Tube) Generally known as one of the most essential modes of transport within London, The London Underground, or famously known as “The Tube” is a highly quick and convenient source of travelling for the citizens of UK and it also lets the Londoners pass through easily across entire London with negligible hustle and stress. (Griffiths, 2006) The trains are relatively easy to look and catch for. Several Londoners prefer the tube over other modes of transport within UK. However, it is known to be heavily crowded at peak times, specifically in the morning between 8 to 10 am and in the evening from 5 to 7pm and it is very difficult to find any seat or spot to sit in the train. (Stewart, 2013). Analysis Buying tickets online Due to the advancement in technology, buying tickets has been instantaneous and relatively easy. Online train tickets are available for all journeys and for all routes within London and interestingly, without any fee or charges for booking.  Choosing where to get the train from At the back of the train, I was able to find some seats which were vacant even though the train was crowded. Though it was difficult to get the seat but it is normally get something out of nothing. To assume everything else we have to stand a chance of getting a seat we are away from the entrances. I did observe that people are people put extra motivation and energy when they are in search for the train. I also observed that a little local knowledge does works and helps in getting a seat in the carriage that is closest to the station platform exits or in this case furthest away as that may help find a seat Maps and Navigation tools The London UNDERGROUND has been designed in a manner by architects and designers, which has made it very easy for Londoners to look out for the train with ease. With the help of digital maps such as Google maps, navigation has become very simple. The digital maps are color-coded and features flourishes in train and station buildings. Planning the journey according to the tube timetable People constantly use travel information while finding seats. It gives an idea of when and what times will the seats get empty and what time it will take to commute. This is a very important move because by travelling in off peak time, the chances of finding a seat are very high Core Reflections The main motive of this research was to understand and analyse how people are able to find seats while travelling in the London Underground. This research has certainly helped me to study the attitude and behavior of people through a long observation and I was also able to focus on the crucial concepts with regard to moral and cognitive behavior. At the start of the research, I thought the process would be very tiring and to obtain information in such a busy setting would be extremely difficult. During my travel, I was able to observe some crucial points which were easy to achieve but the objectives may not be relatively adequate which could help me gain further insight of the people who were already present inside the train. I had decided from the very beginning that I will be friendly to the people and through their support will get the crucial answers which are pertinent to my observation. I had stayed focused and concentrated on the attitude and behavior in such a manner which may have made me a suspicious individual but with the mutual support of the individuals and their excellent communication skills, it made me calm and relaxed and it had kept my focus on the individuals to a great extent. Due to this reason, I had felt very comfortable with my research and I had even wanted to extend my research to get more insight. Interview excerpts from a few passengers Interviewee Name: John Sands Occupation: Male Nurse 1. How do you find seats during peak hours while travelling in the tube? Finding seats in the London underground is a very hectic job. Although it is good that trains come at regular intervals and it is easy for travelers like me to justify giving myself a longer journey to go home. Although is difficult to find seats in the train during the peak hours, Instead getting a place to even stand properly is difficult. 2. When does it get difficult to find seats in the tube? During late hours, especially after 9 or 10pm, it gets very difficult to find seats in the underground. Not due to overcrowding but because of the stations being dark and there are very few people in the ticket office or porter who book the tickets.” 3. Speaking of travelling in late hours how has been your experience while travelling in late evening in the tube? Though it is very easy to find seats during late hours but I have to arrive early at the station to walk to the end of the train furthest away because I get to the station during those hours. I have a long lonely walk from the back end of the train until I have to reach the exit to my station and there are very few people during those hours. 4. Explain the future changes which may occur with the improvement of the tube? The development of UK, and the London underground in particular has gone across various developmental phases and they include economical as well as financial aspects. The London underground has always been in constant growth and development and numerous business plans have been setup for this purpose. 5. State some specific positive or negative points of the London underground tube from your experience? I don’t have any negative points to state because the London underground has been a blessing for working class citizens like me. The core benefit of the London underground train is that it has provided cheap travel facilities to individuals like me with adequate safety and security. 6. Do such moves transport facilities create a positive impact on the facilities for individuals who are residing in London? No I don’t think so. I feel like this because most of us travelling in the train travel for work purpose. We all have to fit in with others because we all have to travel at a special time. Do this reason it has caused problems with employees who arent flexible in working hours. 7. What would be your tips for people who are travelling in the tube? Give at least 3. A very important tip which has personally worked for me is to move down inside the carriage specifically among the seats. Though it is very stressful, but it is only advantageous because people in the middle of the seats mostly leave early and in this manner one can easily catch a seat One more important tip would be to walk through the platform slightly away from the entrance and in the carriages which are at the front and possibly the back of the train which has relatively less crowd. If possible, avoid peak hours. People who have travelled in the train during peak hours will certainly advice that travelling during such peak hours requires great courage and will power, due to very limited space available. Stations are over-crowded to such extent that people are warned to stay behind the line and stay at least three feet away from the platform edge. Conclusion The research has proved that finding seats in the London underground is quite a difficult task and the research has provided me with a very important aspect regarding travel and has helped me to reflect how cumbersome travelling can be in the UK underground train. Citizens in the UK used various measures and steps to find seats in the London underground. Some were using eye movements, some used facial expressions and some used hand gestures to directly ask the passengers who were about to leave. But what I found most important was that almost every passenger responded in an optimistic manner even though the train was jam packed and the distance was too long. People have used various ways to find seats in the London underground such as commuting earlier before the train had arrived and constantly checking the travel information at each station. The fact of the matter is that without the Tube, travelling in London would be very tough. Though the tube may not be perfect for travelling, but its still the quickest and also most convenient mode of travelling across London. How do people find seats on the London Underground NAME…………………………………DATE………………………………………..GR……………………… RECORD PERIOD: START………6.00pm……END……9 pm Setting stage time 180 minutes Day Monday time 6.00pm Location London Setting UK underground tube References Griffiths, E. (2006). Baking hot at Baker Street, BBC News 31 March 2013 Stewart, R. (2013). "City-flow 650 to control the SSR" Modern Railways, pp. 42–43. Read More