We haven't heard that phrase or used our Tube map much. Why, you ask? It's such a quick and inexpensive way to move around town. Well, we learned after arriving that the Tube is surprisingly inaccessible for strollers (and wheelchairs). Some stations have elevators from the street level to the ticket office, but then only stairs or escalators down to the platform. Brandon and I are able to tag-team the stroller to manuever down the escalators, but I'm too nervous to do it by myself.
I'm shocked that the public transport is so behind the times. London is one of the biggest cities in the world - shouldn't Londoners be outraged? So while Lucy takes another marathon nap (which she NEVER does at home), I did a little internet research. Apparently the Tube is undergoing a major project to improve accessibility, which is encouraging news. I was shocked again to learn that at the end of this program, only about 100 of the 274 Tube stations will be fully accessible (or step-free)! I guess if you live by one of the 174 non-accessible stations and use a wheelchair, you're stuck.
During my thorough research project, I learned that the 8,000 city buses are fully accessible, so Lucy and I will be cruising around town on the double-decker. Also, we moved yesterday from our East End neighborhood to a new flat that it much more centrally located so we can hit many spots on foot.
Thank you for listening to (or rather, reading) my rant-of-a-post. Happy trails!
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