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MATT: I'm Matt Parker

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TOM: and I'm Tom Scott

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and we're here at King's Cross Station

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at 5:30, the busiest time for the network.

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MATT: And we're not here to go anywhere:

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we're here to test some of the biggest lies
on the London Underground.

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TOM: We all know that the Tube map distorts
reality.

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Usually, that's useful, but not always.

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I'm going to take the map's route from Lancaster
Gate to Paddington.

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MATT: And I'm just going to walk above ground.

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-- Go! -- Do it!

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TOM: I have to go down a lift,

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wait at a platform,

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catch the train two stops,

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get off the train,

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take a long walk through a station and up
some stairs,

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wait at another platform,

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catch another train two stops,

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and then walk through the bowels of Paddington
Station.

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It takes 15 minutes for me to get there.

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MATT: As you can see on the above-ground map,

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Tom has taken a massive detour,

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when in reality the two stations are just
around the corner.

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From my perspective...

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-- Go! -- Do it!

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MATT: I just took a pleasant five-minute walk

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through the streets of London.

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It didn't cost me anything,

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and I even had enough time at Paddington Station

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to get a cup of tea and really freak Tom out.

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TOM: Oh, for... I genuinely thought I'd won
there.

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TOM: There are more subtle lies on the Underground
too.

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Bank station gets a flood of commuters

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going one way in the morning,

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and the other way in the evening.

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So the signs change depending on the time
of day.

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MATT: According to the BBC series 'The Tube',

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at times staff will even route commuters

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deliberately around a very long detour.

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This will slow them down

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and prevent a dangerous crush

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without making anyone angry.

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TOM: But it doesn't explain King's Cross.

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From the Victoria Line, I'll follow the signs
to "Trains".

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MATT: And I'll do the smart thing.

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I'm going to head straight to the low-key
"Euston Road" exit.

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TOM: While Matt uses his insider knowledge,

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I have to walk along the crowded platform,

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up a set of stairs,

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through a series of rather long tunnels

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that just keep going,

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through the new northern ticket hall,

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through King's Cross itself,

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before finally meeting Matt after five minutes.

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TOM: I have got to start taking the short
route!

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MATT: Why did I get there first?

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Because all I had to do was

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go up an escalator,

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pop outside for a minute,

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and there I am.

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At the mainline entrance in about half the
time.

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It may not seem like much,

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but when you're running for a train,

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that little bit of time can make all the difference.

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The trouble is, if everyone went the same
way I did,

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there'd be a huge crush. There's not enough
room.

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It would be slower for everyone.

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TOM: The tube's signage is a masterpiece of
design.

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The occasional lie makes it quicker overall.

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As a wise man once said,

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the needs of the many outweigh the needs
of the few.

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That's why the London Underground lies to
you.

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