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London Life Problems: Why We’re Always Running Late

07.28.2013 by She Loves London // 11 Comments

In London, timekeeping isn’t really our forte.

Just as losing half of your flat deposit is a normal part of renting from an estate agent (this week I found out it costs a landlord £300 to paint a wall – who knew?) being late for things is part of everyday London life. And that’s despite our impressive collective walking speed, which is roughly 5 mph faster than the European average*.

*made up stat

Clearly, we try not to be late – have you ever seen a Londoner going for a stroll? – but experience tells us that in a city of this size, with this much going on…it’s simply not possible.

Londoners are late because London makes us that way.

London rush hour
This isn’t even sped up.

 

It’s not our fault, you see.

Theoretically we know it’s possible to get everywhere – east, west, north, south, or to the pub down the road – in “about 20 minutes” – but London continually precludes us from doing so.

We face severe delays, buses on diversion and slow walking tourists; tube doors that shut seconds before we get to them, and sometimes a wait of up to six minutes for a Jubilee line train instead of two. With all that to contend with, is it any surprise that our timekeeping isn’t up to scratch?

 

running-late-in-London

 

That being said, there are of course exceptions.

It’s easy to spot a Londoner who manages to consistently run on time. They’re the ones standing alone outside pubs, bars, restaurants and tube stations, waiting for everybody else.

Their friends arrive 15 minutes later – sweaty, flustered from speed walking – armed with entirely valid excuses: “bus nightmare – the driver stopped at every single red light” or “sorry I’m late, there were pandas on the tube again – you know how it is”.

At this point, friends must offer sympathies and tell their own journey story (“reduced escalator service, for gods sake”), and then everyone can get on with the day.

Even the most improbable excuses are based on fact

Above all, it’s just evolution.

Whereas the inhabitants of other cities around the world have evolved to “get up earlier” or “leave an extra 20 minutes, just in case”, Londoners have developed a different set of coping skills.

We tut at the traffic, walk really quickly, and mutter “for gods sake, move” at people we deem to be going too slowly. And if time starts to get really tight in the morning, we just take our make-up onto the tube, have a shave on the train, or bring our mug of steaming hot coffee onto the bus with us.

Mug of coffee on the London bus

 

Because although we could leave earlier, we know we shouldn’t have to. This is a big city, after all. It’s not us that’s late, it’s everything else failing to run on time.

And in London, that’s just the way it is.

Images: imgur, @ampers via Flickr

 

Categories // London Life Survival Guides Tags // On the bus

Comments

  1. Wanderlust_WTB says

    29th July 2013 at 7:10 pm

    Completely agree!

    Reply
    • sheloveslondon says

      31st July 2013 at 8:57 am

      Glad to hear it!

      Reply
  2. Flower Delivery Guy says

    31st July 2013 at 8:17 am

    not much can be done about this. in fact it will only get worse as London welcomes more and more immigrants. That’s why there is a big campaign to get people cycling. No more space for cars, no more space on buses and on tube. Lets all cycle.

    gordon @ flowerstation.co.uk

    Reply
    • sheloveslondon says

      31st July 2013 at 8:58 am

      Probably not the immigrants’ fault. Probably more to do with the fact that we often don’t leave enough time to get to where we need to be.

      Reply
      • Flower Delivery Guy says

        31st July 2013 at 9:02 am

        definitely not their fault. Problem lies in the structure of London, it can not cope with such growth.

        Reply
    • rouge pa says

      7th August 2013 at 11:43 pm

      A bit silly hinting out its the fault of immigrants

      Reply
      • Flower Delivery Guy says

        8th August 2013 at 1:10 pm

        why do people always get this wrong. it is not the fault of immigrants. it is just a simple fact. more people means more problems. fact is a fact. nothing against immigrants , as i am one myself.

        Reply
  3. Dan B says

    3rd August 2013 at 4:51 pm

    Love this. It’s also the constant ‘first thing’ conversation in any office!

    I also didn’t get my deposit back once because, wait for it, we didn’t clean the ceiling in the kitchen.

    I think I remember us all just standing there, looking up in unison, etched in confusion.

    Reply
    • sheloveslondon says

      4th August 2013 at 10:21 am

      Believe it or not, we are also getting deposit deducted for a splash on the ceiling. Which was there when we moved in. Take photos, folks. Take lots and lots of photos.

      Reply
  4. rouge pa says

    7th August 2013 at 11:42 pm

    Love this post! Makes me all partioticy about London haha

    x

    http://www.rougesramblings.blogspot.co.uk/

    Reply
    • sheloveslondon says

      12th August 2013 at 11:31 am

      Thanks! Glad to hear it 🙂

      Reply

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