Week 9 - Londoners

The approach to this blog post was to capture a documentary style photo that tells a story about a particular aspect of life I have observed in London.

My first photo I took was on my familiar journey on the tube to a friends place in Shoreditch. During my travels I am able to observe the same tunnels and trains of the tube with a different set of people each time. The first thing I quickly noticed was something people do on the way down the escalators to the tube. No matter how packed or empty the escalators are, everyone knows to stand on the right and let others pass on the left. I suppose not everyone knows, but if you don't you will quickly find out, as I have seen many times. This is an aspect of life in London that is seemingly intuitive but I had never thought about before my time in this city. And as a temporary resident it was one of the first routines I picked up on and adopted as a Londoner myself.

This next photo shows a young woman passing a man on the same escalator as the previous photo. As expected, the man is standing on the right and is passed by the woman on his left. It is likely a subconscious thing for Londoners, but again something I never considered before arriving. In the US, almost always people will stand on either side of the escalator, oftentimes talking with the person to the right or left of them if they know each other. This practice highlights the business of London, with people on the go and places to be at all times. This way of life is given respect in London as people who are taking their time on the tube make way for those who aren't. It's interesting that this is not something I have noticed in the US, considering in large American cities the hustle culture is on full display as well. That being said, standing on the right and passing on the left is something I will undoubtedly take back home with me.