20/01/2001, By Richard, 7th Earl of Bradford
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My mother called me (bear in mind I'm middle-aged and don't really feel I need this help) last night and told me she'd seen a TV show that said the London "tubes" are one of the most dangerous places on earth, that there are "fake" taxi drivers all over London who will take you out in the countryside and rob and kill you, that many on-line booking services are "fake" and when you arrive you don't have reservations, not to book shows ahead of time because of the fraud, but to pick up tickets the day of the show at the box office (her TV show said there will always be tickets available, not true in Seattle, why should that be true in London?) - anyway, she's got me totally freaked out (a 1970s American expression meaning extremely upset) - I booked most things through links from your site, but how on earth can I check everything from here? I guess I need to get busy and look up all my reservations and try to get an address for each one and write some letters but if the addresses are fake, fraudulent, etc., we won't know until we arrive and find out, will we?
This is ridiculous.
At least I know now to watch out for those "tubes!"
<b>Editor: What a shame that your mother decided to 'help'.</b>
Do so enjoy your London Lantern, wish my mother would watch some nice, easy-going sit-coms and leave the worrying alone.
Thanks for letting me write.
Kathleen Zucati
(we've e-mailed befoe)
Recently I heard on the radio or read it somewhere...I can't remember...but that Elton John would ride on the Circle Line and get his inspiration there. I've loved his music since high school. As a radio buff,
I would just listen to his songs and find all kinds of inspiration, espeically when his song came out..."Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" I thought that was so cool that he found some of his inspiration on the Circle Line.
signed, obsessed fan of London
Valerie Atkinson Brown
This sounds like Mexico City, not London. I've never had any problems on the tube or with taxi drivers. The taxi drivers are trained professionals who know the city and are courteous.
That's true that the "official" (black cab) taxi drivers are rated among the best in the world ... but there are some people who are allowed to work as a cab driver in London by using their own car etc. I guess these are the "fake" drivers-and yes, they do indeed exist ... but everyone should know to use the Black cab anyway.
If you don't want to be taken advantage of (as far as tickets etc.) One word : Research. Look for links on websites you know you can trust (like the official UK tourism site-or this one, or popular ones like Rick Steves) Don't get over worried. Just do some checking around on the internet. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. (For example, one site was selling theater tickets for a show for 25. On 5 other sites the same tickets went for 40-60. So I knew 25 couldn't be right)
As far as the Tube, SHAME ON YOU EARL OF BRADFORD! I can understand your frustration, but as you said, this is a tourism site. No, we don't want you to sugar coat anything (say something is good when it is not) but your sentiments on the tube were a little too disturbing.