Here at TPP we love maps in general and are particularly proud of our TPP proprietary mapping system. We always enjoy looking at new maps of London, including the Tube and so when we heard that TFL had released a new Tube map, we thought we would take a look and it set us thinking about alternative Tube maps in general.
TFL’s latest Tube map is one which shows the distance between stations in steps. This immediately set social media commentators questioning the choice of unit, given that people come in all shapes and sizes and therefore take steps of different lengths. Having said that, the Tube map is obviously intended for entertainment rather than as an in-depth guide to fitness. According to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the map is a fun and practical way to help Londoners integrate more exercise into their daily lives. We’re sure that the idea of reducing congestion on the Tube, however minimally, never once crossed the minds of those involved with the map. Interestingly, though, there have been two similarly-themed maps relatively recently. Earlier this year, TFL produced a map showing walking times between Tube stations and last year a GP named Dr Wayne Osborne produced the calorie-counting Tube map.
We must admit, however, we are, shall we say, intrigued, by the calculations. For example, according to the walking steps map, there are 1600 steps between Belsize Park and Hampstead and the name number between Paddington and Warwick Avenue. While we agree that these Tube stations are about the same distance apart, Belsize Park and Hampstead are in a direct line on the same road, whereas there are several ways to get between Paddington and Warwick Avenue and all of them involve turning corners. Likewise the walking times between both pairs of stations are given as 16 minutes each, but our local knowledge of London means we know for a fact that the Belsize Park to Hampstead route is up a very steep hill, whereas the Paddington to Warwick Avenue routes are all pretty much on the flat. This leaves us rather confused as to how Dr Osborne calculated that walking between Belsize Park and Hampstead burns off 50 calories whereas walking between Paddington and Warwick Avenue burns off 58 calories.
As we said, we understand that these maps are essentially for fun and to be fair they do make a point about getting out of the Tube for short journeys in the centre of town, although we rather suspect that many Londoners do that anyway. We would guess that a lot of the people using the Tube for short journeys in the city centre are people who lack the confidence to navigate it above ground and who are therefore placing their trust in the Tube to get them where they need (or want to go).
For us at TPP, however, our proprietary mapping system plays a crucial role in our success. We created it by putting our feet onto the pavement and seeing the streets of London for ourselves and we update it continually in the same way, to ensure that it always reflects the reality of London. This is how we are able to offer our customers cost-effective and accurate leaflet delivery in London.
