You know you're ready to leave London when...

[highinthesky]

....you feel like greeting everyone that crosses your path on the pavement with a "Fucker, fuck off out of my way!". I felt the same way at 5.30pm as I did at 8am

But being the reasonable person I am, I realise that London needs tourists more than it needs me.

Oh that's exciting. Where are you off to?

You cry every time you have to come back from holiday as you feel you are being made to go back in a dirty, stressful too small cage. I used to love it in my twenties but the time definitely came to leave

I second @QueenMortificado

Come to The City, we all walk 300 miles an hour with a purpose because we're very important and have very important meetings with other very important people the Starbucks barista don't you know

The black snot is not a London thing, it's a tube thing. I hate the tube - it's so stuffy and grubby.

I love London though, but I have some sympathy about the tourists. I cross the millennium bridge as part of my commute and so many walk in groups, slowly, blocking the entire thing! Grrrr.

Bumbling tourists clogging up the streets drive me crazy too!

However, I had to smile at the Japanese couple I saw standing outside Selfridges. They wore pollution masks covering their mouths and noses BUT they pulled them aside every now and again ...... to have a big drag on their cigarettes!

Oh that's exciting. Where are you off to?

Back to Essex (commuterville) so am less likely to spend time gallivanting in town in the evenings / weekends. I anticipate the journey home might actually help me destress a bit. Streets are relatively clear so I should be able to take a brisk walk in the evenings without tripping over the clueless.

It is a city thing though - was in Barcelona this summer and found it utterly unbearable!

They're all nut cases on oxford street and regent street. Don't look where they're going bump into ya. I couldn't live in london. Visiting is enough.

Never, love London, privileged to live here and I will never leave. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The noise, buzz, buildings, people, culture, attractions, food, theatre, mess, chaos I love it all.

... you land a job in Tokyo or New York and London begins to look a bit provincial?

Otherwise, never I hope.

standard for london though, is'nt it? I would miss it if i left. Along with the morning train shouting - 'can everyone please move down the carriage please, we all want to get to work you know!'. Hahahaha. I love london.