Slow Tube Ticket Machine Upgrades & why we Love Queuing

Frustrated reader Julie S sent me a picture referring to the ticket machines waiting to be upgraded at Piccadilly Circus London Underground. She said "There were long queues at the machines that were working, though bizarrely no queue for the ticket window served by an actual person. Any idea why this will take almost TWO weeks to upgrade 13 ticket machines? Are they building them from scratch?"


I agree and since TfL have known about the price increases for months, why is it so hard to program the new prices in from the start?

Also it's a bit weird how we've become so used (or trained) to using machines rather than going to a window with real people.


Are we just getting used to the fact that there will soon be so few ticket office staff, that we're getting into practise for the day that happens?

Is it the British fascination or love of queuing that means when we see a queue we feel duty bound to join it, even though there may be faster options around a corner?

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