International - India & World   

Gandhiji’s quotes to engage Tube passengers

LONDON: Quoting Mahatma Gandhi may not be quite an in thing in his own country, but the London Underground thinks it can actually make your day.

In a novel experiment to make Tube journeys more “thought-provoking,” quotes from Gandhiji and a host of other great thinkers, including Einstein and Jean Paul Sartre, are to be included in service announcements.

Transport for London is reported to have commissioned well-known artist Jeremy Deller to compile a list of the most quotable quotes.

According to the BBC, among the quotes on offer will be Gandhiji’s, “There is more to life than just increasing its speed,” Sartre’s “Hell is other people” and French painter Paul Cezanne’s “We live in a rainbow of chaos.”

It said Mr. Deller’s original plan to abolish all public address announcements for a day was vetoed by managers who instead agreed to replace some announcements with “something more human and engaging.”

Sally Shaw of Transport for London said it was part of a wider attempt to improve day-to-day interactions and rely less on automated announcements. “I think everyone has their own little philosophies on their journeys, and if we can get more of that out in the air, that would be great.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

China voices displeasure at import restrictions
Jaffna, Vavuniya council polls on August 8
Report on refugees in Tamil Nadu presented
Talks held with Mousavi
Press forum’s appeal
Another report bolsters kickbacks angle
Narrow escape for Mehsud
Mizoram Chief Minister: I am told ‘you do not look like an Indian’
Gandhiji’s quotes to engage Tube passengers

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu