Where's does that leave the 3 million commuters whose lives depend on this underground maze of trains? Well, we just have to take the bus - which are crowded enough as it is during rush hour, not to mention the fact that your trip can take up to four times as long compared to a journey on the Tube. But mayor Boris Johnson (formerly known a founding member of The Muppets) has a solution: we all have to get on our bikes. Yes, because all London needs at a time when the streets will be filled with extra bus services and an overload of cyclist-hating drivers is more inexperienced cyclists. There are some escorted bike rides, though I guess bunches of cyclist might only add to the problem. His bike suggestion might also includes some more mentioning of 'his' rent-a-bike scheme now known as 'Boris Bikes' (and I say 'his' as it was actually an idea of former mayor Ken Livingston - but Livingston Bikes just isn't catchy).
The strike is subject to some heavy criticism. Safety is of course very important, but by taking out the Tube system, you hit the heart of London. The Tube is as vital to London as ambulance services or fire brigades, making it very hard for Londoners to sympathise with the TFL workers. They feel like Tube workers take advantage of their monopoly position in transporting the city in order to get everything they like (their pay cheques are allegedly pretty high). Further strikes are planned in October and November - YouTube vids of angry Londoners surrounded by transport chaos to follow as soon as someone gets out their iPhone.
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