h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The London Underground - A9170138
Author: Alex 'Tufty' Ashman [!] - U566116


Another Update for A48502

Due to a re-shuffle of the London Underground project, there's plenty of stuff I've previously put together which should really be in this Entry.

Sections (brand new sections marked with **):

The Basics
For Example
Which Way Do I Go?
Oyster Cards
The Trains
Electricity
Ventilation
Flooding
Health and Safety
** The London Underground on Maps
Angel
Covent Garden
Earl's Court
Edgware Road
Mornington Crescent
Ex-tube stations
** Fictional Stations
** Other Stations in London
** Lines Named After Stations
** Interchange Stations
Getting The Hang Of Interchanges
Good Interchanges
Bad Interchanges
Travelling from Heathrow to Sloane Square via Hammersmith
Penalty Fares and Fines
Animals on the Tube
Avoiding Nutters on the Tube
Buskers
Flashers and Gropers on the Tube
The Tube's Automatic Doors
The Tube's Information Systems
Tube Games
Mornington Crescent
The Tube Challenge
Tube Pontoon (a variation of Bus Stop Pontoon)
The 50/50 Game
Tube-Train Time Traveller



Alex

Good grief - another insanely comprehensive effort

Something that I should probably have done as a Curator ages ago, but while you're here... You could change the 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' link to the H2G2 Entry (A490349), and also add a link to the 'Mornington Crescent' Entry (A3795816).

Done

And a few little things...

'Electricity':

...with the DLR and Docklands Light Railway coming second... -->
...with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) coming second...

---

'Ventilation':

It is advisable not to travel on the tube if you are feeling unwel, -->
It is advisable not to travel on the tube if you are feeling unwell,

---

'Flooding'

over 30 million litres of water now leaks into the system each day. -->
over 30 million litres of water now leak into the system each day.

---

'Fictional Stations'

The Vauxhall Cross section could link to A817823 (Bond films 1994-2002)

---

'Lines Named After Stations'

H&C line:
Should 'the city' (end of the sentence) have capital letters in this context?

W&C:
this runs from a station that used to known as City --> this runs from a station that used to be known as City

---

'Flashers and Gropers...'

For flashers I find a peel of laughter --> For flashers I find a peal of laughter

---

'Tube pontoon'

Novice: look at your watch and the tube timetable when ever you like. --> Novice: look at your watch and the tube timetable whenever you like.

The Double Blind Variation: this is played with two blindfolds on - no one has ever won this as you either walk into something, get run over, or can't tell which platform top stand on. -->
The Double-blind Variation: this is played with two blindfolds on - no one has ever won this as you either walk into something, get run over, or can't tell which platform to stand on.

---

And a few links for good measure:

Tourists - A964
Cigarettes - A245008
Water - A273179
Bottled Water - A13745991
Newspapers - A103122 (also Metro - The Free Newspaper - A185131)
Flutes - A798168 (link 'flautists')
Saxophone - A87130 (link 'saxophonists')
Classical Violin - A437528

I think that'll do for now!

Done

Any scathing comments for the new material?

Oh and an idea - do you think this Entry might benefit from a contents section with links (eg A9170138#Interchanges) to make it easier to use? I'm not sure what Editorial policy is on that sort of thing.

I'm still not back on the internet post-moving house, but I make this comment in the hope I will be able to have a butcher's at some point...

Can you take the picture from the original entry and put it into this one, please, Alex?

Done

The section "Other Stations in London" should be "Other Services in London", and I think there's one "station" in the text of the section that should be "service" too.

Done

Bits I noticed:
There's an apostrophe in Rayners Lane (in 'For Example' point 7). Should there be?

Typo in Fictional Stations - 'staicase' in Vauxhall Cross.
Suggested extra little bit - a sketch by Alistair Macgowan (or however you spell him) facetiously suggested that there were just two stations on the tube in EastEnders: 'Walford East' and 'Up West'. (although would the gag need a footnote to explain it?)

Avoiding Nutters on the Tube - maybe exchange one brand name for another more in vogue one and change 'Listen to a Walkman' to 'Listen to an iPod'? I'm still refusing to buy one mind, less on the grounds of principle, more that I'll only lose it.

The Tube's Information Systems - maybe a link to A3813941 for Camden Town?



Also, have you heard of the board game 'The London Game'?

I've sorted out the simple points

However, I'm not sure how to put in the Up West joke, and I've never played the London Game - any change you could elucidate?

A board game where the players are given cards with descriptions of various London attractions on them, and the nearest tube station. The object is to get round all of yours first... the tube map, or the central part of it, is the board, and you had to do something special to change lines. There were also counters you could put down to strategically 'close' stations to slow your opponents down.

There was also a national railway-based version called 'The Great Game of Britain'.

http://www.tragsnart.co.uk/gamehub/reviews/londongame.htm

Don't worry about the 'up west' gag...

Added

(You've already got a credit on the Entry from the interchanges bit.)

Shame this wasn't updated before the link on the BBC Homepage today (18th March, 2007).

Oh well.

Any chance of an update?

Is it ready to go, Alex?