Strike causes chaos for commuters

LONDON -- Hundreds of thousands of Londoners struggled to get to work Wednesday as a strike by subway workers produced commuter chaos in the British capital for the second time in a week.

Normally quiet pre-dawn streets, were clogged with people who left home early to walk to the city center. Businessmen jogged in suits, backpacks strapped over their shoulders. Others wobbled along on bicycles. Thames River bridges were jammed with foot traffic.

Early morning buses, normally nearly empty, were packed as commuters tried to beat the rush hour. As long lines developed at crowded bus stops, extra police were called in to keep order and prevent that British horror, queue jumping, or butting into line.

At King's Cross, normally one of London's busiest subway stations, managers handed out bus maps to frustrated commuters.

"The whole thing is just a nightmare," said Steven Frost, two hours after leaving his north London home for his market research job a few miles away in central London. "It looks like it'll take another two hours to get to work.

Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union and the train drivers' union, ASLEF, walked out at 8 p.m. Tuesday and planned to stay off the job until the same time Wednesday.