Going underground
As a general rule, I try to avoid blogging stuff that other people have published already. This rule is broken only if it’s groundbreakingly significant, or if I can add something to it. On that note, I apply the latter: Catherine found us some glorious variations of the London tube map, specifically one showing the relative geographic locations of the lines and stations. Then, Dan wondered why London Underground generally used schematic versions of the map—particularly as the geographic ones are really not that difficult to comprehend. As far as my reliable sources have led me to believe, the answer is security—London Underground would prefer it if people didn’t know where everything actually was. This became gospel during the frequent bomb attacks on the British public transport network, particularly in the capital, by the IRA during the Eighties. There now, you can all sleep a little easier.