My ビートルズ Experience at Abbey Road

The World's Most Famous Crosswalk

I woke up quite early yesterday morning and didn't fall back asleep. While I was lying there it struck me that it might be a good time to go to Abbey Road before it gets crowded. Turns out I was right. I got myself up, got on the train, and made it to the famous zebra crossing a little before 7:30 in the morning. There was only 1 group of people there when I arrived. The traffic wasn't too bad then either. Iconic as it may be, it's not like this crossing has had a museum built over it - it's just an intersection on a road. People are trying to go to work or the park or their homes, and have to dodge tourists taking too much time crossing the street or standing dangerously in it taking a photo from the right spot. At 7:30 am on a Saturday it was pretty light, so if you ever decide to make this music pilgrimage, I'd recommend going early - by 8, both tourist and traffic patterns were getting busier.

"No, no, back up, honey!" 😆

That first group of people that were there when I showed up were 3 Japanese women trying to get decent photos of each other crossing the road album-cover style. A short while later a middle-aged Japanese couple arrived with a similar mission, except he was clearly the Beatles fan, and she was the well-meaning photographer always standing in the wrong place. He had her re-try about a dozen times - she was clearly standing too close and just getting a picture of his smiling face. So that brings me to my next tip. If you have a non-Beatles fan in your party, show them a picture of the Abbey Road cover before you go so they know what you're trying to do. It was pretty hilarious to watch this drama, but I felt a bit bad for both of them by the time they left. Several other groups and individuals came and went in half-hour or so I was there - one other white dude and about 20 Japanese tourists. I found the ethnic leaning pretty interesting and I have 2 theories:

1. More Japanese tourists do their research and knew that earlier was better
2. Jet lag

I think it's probably a combo...

Not too bad on this one - one of the few people walking the right way too

The other bit you need to know if you're a non-English visitor is how zebra crossings work. There are different types of street crossings in England. At intersections with stoplights they do them like we do they in America - wait for the light and follow the "walk" and "don't walk" icons. Then there are zebra crossings - they have the wide stripes painted on the road and tall black and white poles on either side, usually with flashing lights on top. At zebra crossings, pedestrians always have the right -of-way. If you are in a car and someone is approaching a zebra crossing, it is your job as the driver to stop for them - they do not need to wait for you. So at Abbey Road there is this weird, reverse-game-of-chicken going on where the tourists are standing at the zebra crossing wanting the cars to go by so they can get their perfect cover-photo, and all the cars are stopping because there are pedestrians standing there. There are moments where they'll both stand there looking at each other thinking the other is an idiot before the driver finally angrily accelerates and continues on his way. One more reason to get there early and minimize the crossing confusion.

I've got to admit for all the amusing tourist spectating, it was a pretty spiritual experience to just sit there, listening to Abbey Road, and looking at the place where that masterpiece was created. I have only a modest appreciation for the kind of art that hangs in museums. I know what I like, and what I don't, but I don't go to art museums a lot. For me, looking at that street scene with the music in my ears was about as good a museum as there is. That is my kind of art.

Where the magic happened

Leaving my mark... wonder how often it's whitewashed