I think most people simply want a reliable service for their money, and that's the real kicker in automation.
Automation isn't going to make it reliable, merely available. I don't believe the tube workers go out of their way to sabotage the network; the network is riddled with old technology, and it's liable to failure, as is often the case.
If you're talking about 'reliability' in terms of it being out of service, when the staff are on strike - then I don't really follow that one mate. How many days of a year, on average, is it knocked-out by a strike? Let's be generous and say 4 - that's still only 1.1%. I think it's hard to striking workers makes it an unreliable service.
My case for automation, is that the new trains
already are, so TfL
are paying 'drivers' to do nothing. Therefore, strip that redundancy out of the business. My problem with TfL though, is that efficiencies are not passed onto the passengers: Oyster has given rise to the opportunity to save a fortune in overheads, and yet fares are constantly rising. I don't see where the 'reinvestment' of those real-term savings are either, other than being passed on to the already inflated and unjustifiable wage of Tube workers. My fear, is that passengers would also see removing Tube drivers as being a good way to save money - yet, true as it may be, it's money that they'll never see.
Co-incidentally, I was on a platform this evening waiting for my Tube to arrive and I observed a Tube worker, no doubt 'station staff' as they're referred to in glowing terms by Bob Crow. This chap was removing a a bill poster. No problem with that, right? Yup - accept for the fact that you could visibly tell that he was dragging this very simple task out, for as long as he could. I've never seen someone move so, so slowly. I just laughed to myself, because then you'd get on the Tube, open the Standard, and read that **** Bob Crow bleating on about how we need pricks like him. We don't - they're lazy wasters, just like the ones you see gathered in threes, chewing the fat over X-Factor. Apparently they're priceless to the Tube, yet whenever I see these people, they all seem to be doing sweet fudge all.
Getting a tad bored of the rude drivers whose voice comes over the PA on the train, talking to the passengers like they're little school children too. It isn't funny, especially when: i) you've paid a handsome sum to use the 'service', and ii) you're paying his fudging wage, so should so some respect for your decision. But then again, that just goes to show the level of arrogance which has been allowed to propagate amongst them. Unacceptable to show such rudeness in a customer-facing job - absolutely unacceptable. I'd sack the lot of them tomorrow; bring um back down to earth with a bump, and see how they like being spoken to like a piece of brick, when they're cleaning the tables in McDonalds.