(upbeat music)
I'm at Green Park
Gonna jump on the Piccadilly Line
Got some explaning to do ...
look at that bright sun, is that making me a halo? I suspect so, let's get down below
So here's the deal, other day i made
a video where i was at Tufnell Park, and I climbed up the staircase
and i put a caption on saying it was the equivalent of a fifteen-storey building
Some of you - quite rightly - in the comments, said
that's not a fifteen storey building!
and it's kinda my fault for not explaining the joke, so ...
i need to explain the joke
but i also need to go to the source of that joke, the original
fifteen-storey building
which is Covent Garden!
So, Covent Garden is classic case
of a 1906 Leslie Green station which has lifts
and a spiral staircase, and technically
the spiral staircase, is only meant to be used in an emergency
Now this, this is the spiral staircase
and there is quite a clearly, a sign that says that the 193 steps
is equivalent ... to 15 floors
it's here again
with a really nice 'To The Trains' sign
there are 193 steps to climb
the equivalent, to a fifteen storey building
again - this station, is fifteen floors below ground
i'm gonna walk ... 193 steps
and we'll talk about my theory at the top
So, Covent Garden
193 steps
claims to be a fifteen storey, or fifteen floor building
by the way there's a story ... as to why it's called storey
apparantly, historically in some places
that had steps, they used to put stories S - T - O - R - I - S
on every floor!
which then became every story, so that as people climbed the steps
they could read stories,
that might be an Urban Legend!
193 steps at Covent Garden, that bit is correct
i've counted it, don't get me started on
London Underground stations which have incorrect signage for how many steps they have
save that for another video
So on the way up ... i also
i brought my tape measure
obviously, why wouldn't you bring your tape measure
and i measured some of the steps here, at Covent Garden they're seventeen centimetres
err, you can see where this is going can't you? this is going to be a maths thing
now if you google around online,
look at architects websites
they tell you that a storey - or one floor
is typically 10 feet
imperial measurments - scrap that we'll do the maths, that is three hundred and four
just over three metres, 304 centimetres
per floor / storey
we'll do the maths completely once i've taken you to somewhere else
on the network, this way!
so we're at Russell Square
where ther's 175 steps
let's do these
So i'm walking up ... 175 steps
of Russell Square, where again i've measured
and the depth of the step, is 17cm
Ok, Russell Square, it's a great Leslie Green station by the way
amongst all the tiles, and the nice
semi circular arches there, note how the top floor, look
they always used to leave space
on top of the building for them to be built on, but here at Russell Square
is one that they never built on, a little get there from my
knowledge .. tube bank of Underground history
what a great white van blocking the shot!
the point is, i measured the steps again
they're 17cm, there's 175 of them here at Russell Square
now - it doesn't say it anymore
but i have photographic evidence, here is the photo on screen now
it was so long ago that there used to be a sign here, also saying
that those 175 stairs, were the equivalent
of a fifteen storey building
so Covent Gardem 193 stairs, saying its fifteen storeys
Russell Square, 175 stairs, also saying its fifteen storeys
we've got one more example
i need to take you to!
So i'm changing ... at Leciester Square, from the Piccadilly Line
to the Northern Line, that's handy, the train has just pulled in i'll take that, lovely!
so here's the fun thing, as i actually went
back onto the Tube at Russell Square
and i went down the spiral staircase, i got a shot on my phone
there is still a sign up
at the top of the stairs, saying ...
175 steps, IS equivalent to a fifteen floor building
so the sign is still there, but there's one more place here
in a few more stops on the Northern Line
which is like, the Daddy ... of all steps, and floor signage
Ok, this it it! Hampstead.
this is the deepest - ooh windy
this is the deepest staircase on the network
320 steps, and yes, there's the sign
saying it's the equivalent of climbing a fifteen-storey building
Let's do it!
Ok, Hampstead tube ... 320 steps
still says, it's the equivalent of fifteen floors
i measure the steps, again they're 17cm
something very wrong, is going on here so it's time to do some maths
Ok, so i've come home
that is wow, that's is a really, sorry i'm just
that is a really yellow screen
where are my scissors?
it's dark, i couldn't find a cafe to sit in
i've come home this avening i just thought i'd do the maths part
when i got back here home this evening
except it's now dark outside, i can't wait for summer to be here
light will come in the window, and then it won't look so yellow
and basically
i just need to so some quick maths
to demonstrate what's going on
so the joke is, is that TfL
clealy, just put up signs
saying that all
tube station have 15 floors, or 15 storeys
no matter if they're 15 storeys or not
and i incoiporate that into my stand up comedy show
about the Tube, called "Tubespotting"
this to me is like, because Covent Garden is so infamous
the standard marker
the deepest tube station on the network, which is Hampstead
320 steps ... how many floors is that?
is also fifteen, see!
and i'm like .. hang on a second, you just said TfL that
that's like what, how can that also be fifteen?
they probably just made a mistake
it's ... which is interesting because i got out at Russell Square the other day
and so the gag is
that TfL just say "we'll put 15 floors" no matter how many steps it has
that's the gag!
but what i wanted to do
i wanted to do the actual, actual maths
so there's two quick things to do here
so we'll do, errr Covent Garden
Russell Square ...
aaaaaand Hampstead
so these are our three stations
that will do, now, so what we know
is that Covent Garden, is 193 steps
Russell Square is 175
and Hamstead is 320, now if you divide ...
if you take Covent Garden as like, the marker because i remember seeing
to me Covent Garden has always been the base
what's the word? where you take somethiing as like
the control! that's the word i'm thinking of
that's our control in this experiment
we're gonna take Covent Garden as read, let's say there really is fifteen floors
which it isn't - which we'll get to in a minute
but that would be 193 divided by 15
gives you 12.8, so if you then divide
if you divide the 175 at Russell Square
by 12.8 you get, actually 13, 13.6 but we'll round it down
so Russell Square measurement, should be really thirteen floors, and then
bizarrely Hampstead, if you divide
320 by 12.8
if there are Maths people out there, you will love this
it is a perfect 25! no remainder .. so divided by 12.8, equals ...
so there, i've done those in pink, you can't see that can you?
when i do the next batch in a second, i won't do it in pink
it's 15! err, 13 ...
and 25
however! as mentioned earlier ...
i'll do it in Green this time, so again
this time, as i think i mentioned earlier in the video
architect design, say that a storey is 10 feet
12 inches in a foot, i think it's 30 point ... 4 centimetres
in 12 inches / 1 foot, that means that one floor
three hundred and four .. f ... f, what? four!
centimetres. is that right? yes!
i think that's right. my maths works out, trust me.
if you then .. and do, it's imporant and that's why i measured it
for 17, if you do 17
centimetres, which is the depth of a step
by 193 at Covent Garden
i hope this is right, because you'll so tell me if this is wrong
3,281 centimetres, divide that by 304, so actually ...
Covent Garden, is 10.7!
floors .. high. you could round that up to 11.
if maths is wrong, tell me in the comments. that's fine.
applying the same maths
17! centimetres ...
times the 175 steps at Russell Square
i think comes out at 2,975 centimetres, dived by 304, gives you ...
9.7! which we'll round up to 10
so Russell Square is really just under ten
floors, storeys, and 10 storey building
and then finally, we have to Hampstead ...
17cm times 320
comes to ...
5,440 centimetres, which is, divided by 304
a grand total of ...
17.8 which i'll round up to 18
it's an 18 floor .. storey, building, that is my maths!
if you think i've done it wrong! i'm sure you'll tell me
TfL if you're watching
please don't ever change your posters! they make me laugh, do more!
go to Chalk Farm where there's only 54 steps
and put up a sign there, saying
this is equivalent of 15 storey building
let's make this a running gag! all tube stations ...
forevermore, should always
be 15 .. (laughs) floors, deep underground
right?
thanks!
(upbeat music)