Being originally from the county of Kent just south of the Nation’s capital there are several things that naturally, an outsider will have to adapt to when spending large amounts of time in London. Whether it be the crowds of people pushing their way onto the tube, the Tap in Tap out system of the Oyster Card, or the feeling of standing open jawed and slightly confused as a suited man, brief case in one hand and Cafe Nero coffee in the other, rushes past me as I ask him which DLR goes to Heron Key.

The city is the great business centre of Great Britain, home to iconic sights such as: Big Ben; Canary Warf and the Tower of London. Every Briton who has had the chance to visit this circular shaped city of the south, has their own image of this hotspot of tourism and commerce. After studying in London for almost two and a half years one image that stays embedded in my memory is people pushing buttons, or should I say not pushing buttons.  I have been in countless scenarios which involve approaching a crossing and waiting patiently. I  then look up from my Ipod induced state of calm to realise that the person closest to that button, the one which allows the little red man to turn green has not been pushed. I stand their in frustration and slight annoyance as a woman sticks her foot out into the road in a vain attempt to cross, pulling it back in as each car whizzes past nearly taking off her toes.  She continues to wait impatiently at the line oblivious to the fact there is button which would allow her to cross all the more quickly and as per usual I end up having to literally pull my finger out and push the button.

The question that remains in my head as I continue to cross the busy roads of Great Britain’s most famous city, is why do Londoners refuse to use this simple device that would make their journey so much easier?