"This is Bank. The next station is Liverpool Street, brought to you by McDonald's."
Doesn't quite have the same ring to it...
The Tories have mentioned plans to look at the idea of allowing big name companies to sponsor London Tube Stations, going as far to even allow them to rename the station if they cough up enough change.
Before we delve into why this proposal is evil reincarnate, the possibilities of such a deal aren't too bad, with enough money generated to 'fix' travel rates (not bad seeing as how expensive travel in London already is) and more money can be spent in refurbishment, so the next time you go to Paris or Barcelona, you won't feel so jealous.
Sure travel will get a lot more confusing, especially if the names change, but if it's cheaper I can't see too many people caring.
Now for the evil bit. Ready?
This is capitalism and consumerism gone entirely wrong.
If we allow companies to sponsor the Underground then where does it stop?
Buildings will be next, councils and Burroughs, towns and cities. Hell, if we're not careful England will literally be wiped off the map, replaced with a harsh fonted Murdoctopia. (Scotland's already doing it's best to avoid Trumptown).
Surely we haven't reached the stage where there isn't enough money getting put into the system to have to avoid resorting to product placement and advertising?
Are you saying that the £25 I spent to travel to London for the day, more than the cost of why I went to London in the first place, isn't enough?
Bullshit.
If you hadn't spent all my money on a diamond toilet seat or a new house for you third mistress, we probably wouldn't have this situation.
If you'd spent all the money given to you wisely the stations wouldn't be in such disrepair.
If you really wanted to look after you loyal citizens we wouldn't have to pay so much to travel in the first place.
Advertising is one of those annoying evils that are necessary in the world. They help bring money to the companies that employ the rest of us, giving us barely enough money to keep ourselves moving onto the next day so we can make the corporate fat-cats even richer.
No thank-you. Find a better alternative.
