Tube strikes: Smug runners and bus queuing woe

The strike brought out the smugness in some commuters

The words 'chaos', 'misery' and 'disruption' feature in many news stories about the tube and rail strike. A select few, however, managed to salvage something positive from the receiving end of the industrial action which they were happy to share with the Twitterverse.

Monty Python told us to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

It's a message not lost on Rebecca Hall who tweeted: "Well at least the #tubestrikes mean I get to take a boat to work and enjoy some gorgeous views!!!!"

Nick Allen, was in the same (though different) boat, having managed to hitch a ride on a boat from Westminster Pier into work.

Some chose to look on the bright side about changes to their daily commute

Others on Twitter said it was "a lovely day for a boat ride" and even admitted they were "quite liking the tube strike".

But not so Elizabeth Kessick, who tweeted her experience of being "Stuck in an endless queue for the boat with a legion of old duffers talking golf club politics and the state of The Ivy. SIGH."

For others the tube strike offered an opportunity for personal improvement.

Many on Twitter chose to share images of their running kit with the world

Not content with merely advocating the benefits of putting on a pair of trainers and jogging to work, many on Twitter chose to share images of their running kit with the world.

Ruth McAvinia, for example, described her trainers as "impossibly 2014" while @safetyboss said: "The #TubeStrike hasn't stopped our consultants getting to training in #London today - trainers and map at the ready!"

Meanwhile BBC Newsnight journalist Alex Campbell said: "Hey internet. I ran to work today due to the #TubeStrike and turned up on time. I even used Google to map my route."

His route seemingly spelled out the word 'smug'.

Pressed on the issue, Campbell confessed he may not in fact have followed "exactly that route".

Either way, his artistry and running brought numerous grins to those who saw it.

And where there are feet, two wheels are usually not far away.

Slogan of the day? Seen on Screen suggested 'Beat the Strike, get on Your Bike'

As a cyclist, art director Shannon Craver not only admitted to being a little smug in the face of rail and tube strikes. She even quantified her smugness, claiming: "My bike commuter smugness is up by 60% today".

Seen on Screen managed to turn the day's chaos into a new slogan: "Beat the strike, get on your bike". Though being a dance school, Seen on Screen, also suggested dancing your way from A to B.

Emlyn Dodd saw in the tube strike an opportunity to question a cliche.

"They say you never forget how to ride a bike," he said. "Watching some of the reluctant Boris Bikers this morning, I'd beg to differ."

Those who chose rail's traditional rival - the bus - encountered dizzyingly long queues.

Londoners were able to demonstrate the British art of queuing

Luke Karmali offered some advice to those needing a little more personal space.

"Top tip for getting space on a bus during the #TubeStrike," he said. "Start talking to yourself. People soon make room."

Elsewhere, writer Tony Parsons told of "A woman who looks v. important in the City is hailing a big red bus as though it is a black cab. Londoners still getting hang of #TubeStrike."

And while Jeremy Tang felt "the kindness of Londoners just go out the window when there's a tube strike #HungerGames #TubeStrike" others felt it engendered a sense of, if not community, then shared adversity.

Kelly Kansas admitted: "I always not-so-secretly enjoy #tubestrike days. People fill the streets and it gives a "we're all in this together" feel to London."

Sales director Richard Jackson shared the same sentiment: "#tubestrikes absolutely love it when #london pulls together. Strangers talking. Banter all round. #TubeStrike brings us together."