By John Kennedy (John the Cabby)

Here I am at Paddington station, I have just got off a nice air conditioned train and I have decided rather than take a taxi-cab I will try the competition out.

Staring at me is the entrance to the underground service I approach the steps and immediately head down towards a underground concourse. It's packed, people everywhere, most of them have a Oyster card which allows them to prepay for journeys, I don't. On my left hand side is a ticket machine, £4.00 zone one single fare from Paddington to Elephant and Castle. That's expensive, the last Mayor was obsessed with the Oyster card, I'm not.

Anyway I head through a ticket barrier and follow the signs for the Bakerloo line, it really is funny observing people traveling, you can tell the regulars and spot a novice a mile off just by the total look of confusion upon their faces. Small tight tiled tunnels which branch off left to right leading to escalators or steps, each step takes me further underground. It actually feels like a steam room but then in the distance you here the noise of a train beginning to move off and has the speed picks up air is dragged down into the tunnel and for four to five seconds I feel as cool as a cucumber. The chilling effect which brought such light relief from the sticky, sweaty feeling I'm experiencing goes, honestly I feel uncomfortable.

Having finally reached the Bakerloo line platform on my journey to the centre of the earth I turn to the right and luck is on my side a southbound train is waiting, I hop on board and the doors close behind me. I decide to stand and do what half a tube carriage does and that is look at everybody else. You notice everything when in a confined space with strangers, but in the end I decided to count the stops along the way and wonder where all the investment has gone. The train I'm on looks old the tunnel looks dirty and dark. The screeching, squeaking of the tube hurtling along the track sounds like a old record, exactly like last time you played it but now its just a little more worn.

What I do notice though is a lot of the station platforms look new and it appears that's where most of the investment has gone so far on tiling, escalators, digital advertising boards, better waiting arrears. How long will it be before we get air conditioned trains ? What ever happened to that competition the last Mayor had to solve this problem ? Everybody looks warm in fact some look hot and bothered. We stop at Waterloo and the automated announcement still informs you that you can catch the eurostar service from here. Eurostar moved its services to St Pancras months ago.

At last the tube reaches the Elephant and Castle but the journey is not over yet, I must be at least 100ft underground and its like a maze down here. Walking from the Bakerloo line platform crossing a bridge over the track and along a Northern line platform to finally make it to a corridor and their in front of me is the chance for freedom, fresh air, I press the lift call button and the digital arrows responds. Finally the doors open and I can't wait to get out of the worlds largest steam room. Up we go and finally the audible bleep announces the doors of the lift will open and I race towards the barrier. The machine eats my ticket but I'm allowed to exit, the sun is shining bright but deep down inside I just want to shout one simple word.....TAXI !