by Caitlyn "The Hat" Garrison

At one time, I remember hearing that a city runs on people. But the people run on a very tight schedule, and one delay causes huge problems for the rest of the day. That's why this city is full of any kind of transportation imaginable — from personal vehicles and bikes to trains, boats and buses.

The Transport Museum in London pays homage to those means, past and present, by which Londoners get where they're going as efficiently as possible. The exhibits demonstrate the evolution of the 16th century sedan chair (a box with handles, carried by two people) to the electric tube system (that's a subway to you, Yanks).

I didn't go into the Transport Museum expecting to find anything about the theatre; for me, it was a break from the walking tours and shows. But couched between the horse-drawn omnibuses and the steam locomotives, there was the ferryboat system that carried innumerable playgoers to the Globe, the Rose, and many other playhouses on a daily basis. It even mentioned the ferryman's seat on the bank of the river, which we had seen earlier on our tour between the new Globe and the site of the old Rose.

Now that I think about it, it makes sense that the theatre and the transport systems would be closely linked. After all, if no one can get to the show, then theatre can't happen.