Jet Lag, Debit and Oyster Cards

So it might not have been the brightest thing in the world to do, but after I checked into my hotel, I decided to go down to Picadilly/Circus to Double Negative, and pick up the letter that would allow me to setup my Local London Bank Account. As a foreigner, it's evidently not easy to set up an account without the sponsorship of a local business, so I had to go to the bank that my company is with and show the bank the letter that vouches for my character.

Just so you know the importance of the London Debit Card. Almost everything in London requires that you have Automatic Debit payments. If you want a phone, you need to have a Debit card. I wanted to have the new iPhone, but in order to buy it, I would need to purchase a Payment plan, and that would require the Debit card. In order to rent an apt, you need a debit card to prove that you are a responcible person. It's almost like being a non-person to not have one. One little detail, unlike the states where it takes 2 days to get a bank card, it takes 6 days in the UK for them to mail you a debit card. Heaven help you if something happens to the card in the mail, it then would take an additional 6 days to get a replacement sent out.

Oyster Cards, which are the passports to the public transportation system here are also essential equipment. I purchased a month pass, which at £102($164) was actually a lot more expensive than I was prepared for. For a first month, it has been very useful, though in hindsite, I probably didn't end up using it to its fullest extent. It has been nice to be able to swipe it and go anywhere in Zones 1 and 2, and I have been jetting around a bunch.