Old Street Tube Flooding Leads to Limerick

Leaving work late last night, I was on autopilot going home and walking down the subway towards Old Street London Underground, a number of people passed me in the opposite direction tutting. "There's no Tube". Oh no, why? "The station's flooded". Great, just what I needed!


Arriving at the gates of the station, there was a gated barrier and none of the usual Hoxton crowd making their way off to various clubs. A couple of police men were standing inside. Rather than walking around with sniffer dogs, a common sight at Old Street Tube at that time of night, they were looking bored.

I just wanted get home and didn't pay attention to the whiteboard messages of various exits with arrows. I was tired and didn't want to walk to another station. Getting the first bus going west seemed the best option & then changing onto a train that wouldn't be making its way through water.

Waiting at the bus stop, I gave a moany Tweet. "Old Street Tube closed due to flooding Please insert pun/joke etc to keep me amused while I wait for buses :( ".

After ten minutes a bus came along which I took to Clerkenwell and walked to Farringdon Tube. I saw that a Metropolitan Line train had just pulled in and legged it downstairs. I was hoping to catch it to King's Cross. Many other people must have had the same idea. The train was absolutely packed. Even if I'd wanted to, there was no way I could squeeze myself on, and so I thought "Oh only another couple of minutes, I'll wait for the next one".

Taking advantage of the some mobile phone signal at Farringdon, I checked Twitter to see if there'd been any puns/jokes etc. It was 9pm by now. People were probably too busy watching The Apprentice or BGT to see my moany tweet.

So it was with some delight to see that @ProactivePaul had Tweeted a limerick for me over five Tweets. It brought a big smile to my face. The first of many, after what I expected to be a tiresome journey home.

Then, a wonderful shiny new train pulled into Farringdon station. It was one of the new air conditioned Metropolitan Line Tubes, with a long walk-through carriage. I'd never been in one before, so started snapping away once inside.


Still taking advantage of the mobile connection, I squeezed out a quick thank you Tweet to Paul.

Back into auto-pilot at King's Cross, I automatically turned right heading towards the shortest route to the Piccadilly Line interchange. I was faced with yet another sign. For some reason or other that route was closed and we were pointed in the opposite direction, taking us out of the barriers and with the prospect of "touching out". Here was yet another sign:


I loved how I was being asked to "PLEASE READ" this one. The Tube gods knew that I clearly hadn't read any of the other handwritten signs I'd seen so far. Furthermore, I WOULD NOT be charged twice. I MUST TOUCH OUT with Oyster.

I giggled when going through, as all this touching in and out is lost on me as I don't have Pay As You Go. I have  an annual pass, so the world (or rather Zones 1-3) is my Oyster. But I'm sure those who were worried about being double charged, would have been pleased to see the slightly passive aggressive sign.

Finally, I was nearly on my last leg of my journey. I changed trains as normal at Hammersmith to get the District Line & checked Twitter. @GrahamMoore had Tweeted "flooding? Well at least the place might look cleaner tomorrow. ha ha not my commute anymore!".

I also saw that @ProactivePaul had very kindly put his limerick together in one image "the spontaneous limerick for @anniemole put into context and arranged so that it's easy to read".

So here it is. The limerick for the flooding of Old Street Tube.  Thanks again to Proactive Paul.


First time I've ever had a limerick written about me and the first time I travelled on the new airconditioned trains. Perhaps Old Street Tube ought to flood more often. Seriously Tube gods don't listen to that, I prefer my Tube journeys dry.

Related Posts
First Air Conditioned Tube Train
Old Street Tube in Whiteboard Message Wars
Mobile Phone Hotspots on the Tube

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, June 03, 2011 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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