Stop! Hammerchapel!
Standing on Baker Street's Westbound Circle line platforms a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the service indicator on the Eastbound platform still bore the legend 'Whitechapel and Circle Trains', despite it being over ten years since that branch of the Met got renamed. This got me thinking about the Hammersmith And City line, and what a rubbish name it has.
1. At six syllables it's far too long...
2. ...and there's no sensible abbreviation, which leads to people calling it the Pink Line, which is bobbins.
3. It's not really accurate, only skirting the city...
4. ...and even if it were, it would be too boringly descriptive.
5. There's another line with the suffix 'and City', which could easily confuse some very dim people.
I therefore propose that from this point forward it should be known in common parlance as the Hammerchapel. This has the following clear advantages:
1. It's much shorter: only four syllables.
2. It follows precedent: Bakerloo = Baker St and Waterloo, Hammerchapel = Hammersmith and Whitechapel.
3. It's accurate: all the trains go to both Hammersmith and Whitechapel.
4. It sounds funny.
5. MC Hammer's Can't Touch This could be used as its theme song.
It has been pointed out to me that Hammerking would satisfy several of these points, which is true enough. However, it falls down on point 3, the Barking service being peak hours only, and, more importantly, it sounds more like a town in Norway than a tube line.
So, remember, it's no longer the Hammersmith and City Line, it's the Hammerchapel. If enough of us start using the new name, TfL will have to bow to public pressure and use it themselves, just like their antecedents did with Bakerloo.
1. At six syllables it's far too long...
2. ...and there's no sensible abbreviation, which leads to people calling it the Pink Line, which is bobbins.
3. It's not really accurate, only skirting the city...
4. ...and even if it were, it would be too boringly descriptive.
5. There's another line with the suffix 'and City', which could easily confuse some very dim people.
I therefore propose that from this point forward it should be known in common parlance as the Hammerchapel. This has the following clear advantages:
1. It's much shorter: only four syllables.
2. It follows precedent: Bakerloo = Baker St and Waterloo, Hammerchapel = Hammersmith and Whitechapel.
3. It's accurate: all the trains go to both Hammersmith and Whitechapel.
4. It sounds funny.
5. MC Hammer's Can't Touch This could be used as its theme song.
It has been pointed out to me that Hammerking would satisfy several of these points, which is true enough. However, it falls down on point 3, the Barking service being peak hours only, and, more importantly, it sounds more like a town in Norway than a tube line.
So, remember, it's no longer the Hammersmith and City Line, it's the Hammerchapel. If enough of us start using the new name, TfL will have to bow to public pressure and use it themselves, just like their antecedents did with Bakerloo.