By DPA,
London : Travellers on London’s Underground network are finding their anger about delays and overcrowding relieved by philosophical bon mots from great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein and Jean-Paul Sartre.
From Thursday, drivers on Piccadilly Line trains will be asked to embellish routine service updates with quotes such as Gandhi’s “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
While some travellers might find their journeys more thought-provoking, others are bound to frown at the innovation for disrupting their reading habits or music entertainment.
Paul Cezanne’s “We live in a rainbow of chaos” and Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Hell is other people” will also be recited by Tube drivers.
Transport for London has commissioned Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller to compile a list of quotations to be used by Tube drivers.
The artist said the idea was born out of his intense dislike of regular public address announcement. “It does my head in. It’s like some psychological warfare on the customer,” he said.
Sally Shaw, who is running the pilot scheme for Transport for London, said it is part of a wider attempt to improve day-to-day interactions and rely less on automated announcements.
“I think everyone has their own little philosophies on their journeys and if we can get more of that out in the air, that would be great,” she said.
Train driver Susy Wells said: “I like to make my own announcements and it’s nice to get the passengers thinking as well.”