The official word from the RMT union is that it’s about jobs, pay, and conditions. Specifically, a new dispute has erupted over night-tube driver rosters and a “safety-critical” disagreement about signal room staffing. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the same song, different verse, that we’ve been hearing since 2015. But this time, the union says they’re “absolutely rock-solid” in their mandate. No faffing about this time.
What this means for you, dear reader, is that your carefully planned commute via the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow? Forget it. Your romantic date in Zone 1 that requires a quick hop from London Bridge to Paddington? Postpone it. Unless you’re prepared to walk or swim, you are stuck.
And let’s be honest: walking across London in May can be lovely—if you don’t mind the light drizzle that turns into an apocalyptic downpour.
Millions of Londoners Face Transit Disruption as Tube Strike Takes
The five stages of a tube strike grief
We’ve all been here before. Stage one is denial: “Oh, it’ll be called off at the last minute. They always cave.” Spoiler: they didn’t cave. Stage two is anger, where you shout at your phone screen and curse the RMT general secretary by name. Stage three is bargaining: “If I leave at 5:30 AM, can I cycle from Clapham to Leytonstone in under two hours?” The answer is no, but please do try. Stage four is depression, which hits around 8:47 AM when you see the queue for the 205 bus stretching around the block. And finally, stage five is acceptance. You accept that you will be late. You accept that you will spend £45 on an UberPool with three strangers who smell of despair.
Pro-tip: Acceptance is best achieved by buying a bacon sandwich from that kiosk in King’s Cross that doesn’t judge you for crying into your coffee.
