CHOICE: Way-out plan

There are those who derive a particular pleasure from working out how best to position themselves on the Underground platform to ensure the quickest possible getaway at the end of their journey. With the Way Out Tube map, they will be transported to anorak heaven. As well as being an essential purchase for trainspotters, it offers benefits for any weary Tube traveller sick of trying to negotiate a 180ft-long platform while laden with luggage or children. For example, when disembarking at Bank on the Northern Line to take the DLR you should aim to be in the middle of the platform for a swift dash to the train, otherwise you face a long trek up some stairs, along a tunnel and down an escalator. Another aspect of the map (right) is that it's the fi rst time since 1933 that anyone has deviated from the now familiar Tube diagram (340 million are printed, in various forms, every year). But as with all great ideas there are teething problems: the map is hard to fathom at first and it's not always easy to count the carriages and find your ideal position, particularly if you're running for a train. However, these drawbacks are understandable when you consider that the Tube comprises 522 miles of running lines, 294 escalators, 66 lifts and endless platfo rms.

£1.50 from W H Smith