tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19619307.post-43177872395826200552007-03-19T09:38:00.000Z2007-03-19T09:50:51.280ZBBC 4 had a "Tube Night" last night with an evening of programmes about the tube. It was very interesting to see how the attitudes and workforce have changed over the years. In the golden era during the 30's - 50's the workforce was large necessary (as it turns out), polite, well trained and supervised with a marvellous sense that what they were doing was important to them and the public. And they all seemed to speak such good crisp english not the slack jawed estuary version we have grown used to. In other words a service. It seems that lack of investment started really in the 50's when public money used for the tube was dfiverted to rebuidling London and the economy after the war. Maintenance was not what is was, staff were laid off and rolling stock not updated. This resulted in several incidents up to and including the Kings Cross fire in 1987 caused by a stray match setting light to the dust and deritus that had previously been kepy out by "the fluffers" , cleaners responsible for keeping the system clean removing 100 tons of dust a year.<br /><br />Inspections and maintenance was carried out through the night.<br /><br />Contrast that with now. The network is filthy, signals always failing and staff with no real leadership in terms of morale pride or sense of duty.<br /><br />Its a pity it has been allowed to deteriorate to this degree as London deserves a good tube netwrok. Interestingly there was a soundbite of that fat useless wanker prescott making a vociferous 1997 statement to the effect that Lononders expected a good efficient tube and he was going to make sure we damn well got one. Well we arer still waiting.Tube_Thumperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03930316934376723267noreply@blogger.com