Getting Around in London

The coolest thing here is the Oyster card, an electronic card that costs 30 pounds, about $45, for a week of unlimited travel on bus and tube (with a few restrictions on area).  Every bus has an electronic reading device at each entrance and all you have to do it touch your card to it and it allows you on so there is never a search for change.  It's L2.20 or so for each trip otherwise; after about 12 trips it has paid for itself.  You can buy "The Oyster" anywhere and we probably got our money's worth by the second day of the week that it's good for.

Most buses are double deckers and with a little luck you can get upstairs and sit in the front row. It provides a great view above the traffic and nearly second floor level for all the buildings. Get on and off as many times as you like.  There are good maps at each stop and the tube maps are everywhere and easy to read and understand.

Just be aware of sudden stops!  We sat at one light for two or three changes while the traffic cleared and the minute the light turned green and the driver started forward an oblivious bike rider whizzed across in front of him and he had to hit the brakes throwing us all forward.  No one hurt on that one but while talking with a friend of Evie's, she explained that she was sitting where there was no handles to grab onto and the same thing happened; she flew across the bus and was injured enough to  equire medical attention.

The tube is great; you seldom have to wait more than a few minutes for a train, and they whizz along at high speed between stations.

We encountered only a few strange people on the underground.  One guy started talking the minute he got on and then spotted a pretty redhead sitting nearby and moved over and started in on her about how much he loved redheads and then got a little too personal about his desires.  She was conversing in Russian with another girlfriend across the aisle and just ignored him but he kept it up until we got off.  There was another woman with her dog and she talked in a loud voice to that dog and sat with him on the floor for the whole time we were on the train.  But mostly people here seem to be very circumspect and do not create problems. There are no panhandlers or apparent homeless people in London or the other towns; several mentally ill men but other than that, the streets are quiet.