You stand there, half-dressed, coffee in hand, staring at your phone like it owes you money. The first sign of trouble is when your journey planner app glows red like a warning from a volcano. No service on the Victoria Line. Severe delays on the Piccadilly. It’s the digital equivalent of someone shouting “ABORT MISSION!” into a megaphone.
Suddenly, the “easy” 30-minute commute becomes a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Do you take the bus, which is now a human sardine can? Or do you walk, past the sad-looking cyclists and tourists who are blissfully unaware of the chaos? You’ll probably end up doing a bit of both, muttering about “union negotiations” like you’re a seasoned political analyst.
I once had a strike day that turned my journey into a full-blown Lord of the Rings quest. I started at Finsbury Park, walked to Highbury, took a bus to Angel, then walked again because the bus was stuck in a traffic jam of other refugees. I arrived at work more tired than when I left home. I’m pretty sure I saw a hobbit in the crosswalk.
The “No, It’s On!” Emotional Rollercoaster
But here’s the funny part: you can’t fully trust the news. There’s a special type of chaos reserved for “rumoured” strikes. The government says “talks are ongoing,” the union says “no deal yet,” and your brain says, “I’m taking a day off just in case.” It’s like watching a tennis match where both players are holding rackets made of wet spaghetti.
You then spend the evening in a state of purgatory. Should you set an alarm for 6am, just in case? Or sleep in and risk it all? The internal debate is louder than a Central Line train at rush hour. I once decided to “risk it” and woke up to find the entire system was running fine. I had woken up at 5:30am for nothing. The only strike was against my dignity.
And can we talk about the joy of finding out the strike has been cancelled? That feeling is better than finding a fiver in your coat pocket. You immediately text your group chat: “IT’S CANCELLED, WE’RE BACK IN BUSINESS!” It’s a brief, glorious moment of relief before you remember you still have to sit next to a man eating a sausage roll at 8am.
FOURTH day of Tube strike chaos in London (but only TWO days of strikes
