The Tube isn't my favorite underground system either--it can be screechingly noisy and yes there are a lot of stairs (but overall, it's easier to find escalators in the London Tube than in the Paris Metro and the Metro's escalators are more likely to be broken.) As I recall, some significant improvements to the Tube were promised as part of the Olympics bid, but I remember reading later that not all of them will/can be implemented.

I far prefer Vienna's U-bahn system, fast, efficient, easy to use and quiet, but its pax load is much less than that of the Tube and Metro.

One thing I like about the Brussels metro is that virtually every station has escalators (with a few exceptions like Stockel, but that station is at street level so no stairs either). However, the Brussels metro recently scored badly in a comparison study for its "unpleasant odors"--the study didn't say whether the odors came from the system or the riders ;-)

Given a choice, I'll aways go for streetcars (trams) over subways OR buses. So again, points to Vienna and Brussels (and Portland, OR).

I didn't find the OP's report unduly negative and I too prefer trip reports that aren't mash notes proclaiming that everything and everyone was just SOOO perfect.

<Another nice thing is that 99% of drivers obey the rules about zebra crossings...namely once a pedestrian enters a zebra crossing, they must stop.......and indeed they do like I said 99% of the time.>

We're brainwashed about it when we learn to drive - it feels like an imprisonable offence to not give way to pedestrians at a zebra crossing (and, indeed, if you run someone over on a zebra, it probably will be).

I am always grateful that the drivers stop for those of us using the zebra crossing at Abbey Road. Alas, they don't realize that we want them to whoosh through the crossing, so we can sally forth, and have our pictures taken in the footsteps of the Beatles.

P.S. I pity the bus drivers and the taxi drivers who drive Abbey Road frequently. We must frustrate them so much. :)