London is a confusing and large city, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of misconceptions floating around about it.

 But as a true Londoner, I’ve realized there are certain things

 I have to set straight for those who don’t know any better.

 To offer some clarity on the truths about our fair city, here are seven common myths debunked.

The Underground Map

The top tube map is something seen by millions of tourists and Londoners alike every day, but people often don’t realise it’s not to scale. 

If you look closely, the distance between Westminster and Leicester Square for example is actually 

double the distance between Whitehall and Vauxhall. 

This is because the map isn’t geographically accurate,

 but instead uses an abstract design called the ‘London Tube Standard’ which was created for clarity.

 Big Ben

Big Ben is actually just The Clock Tower, with it’s name coming from the Great Bell inside.

 If anyone asked me where Big Ben is I’d point them in the direction of Parliament….

 The Christmas Carol

The Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol, is based on his experiences with

 London’s ‘saucy boys’, street gangs who would mug people at night. 

The story is based on Dickens’ experience of being mugged himself, but these days it’s more likely to be girls being fleeced by tricksters.

 The story often gets changed around for adaptations so keep an eye out for the differences.

Women are Prettier in Lambeth

Lambeth is one of the nicest areas in London,

 so the myth that it offers more appeal to women has become ingrained in society.

 Women are more attracted to men with jobs, so if you want to impress them, look for work in Westminster.

 Moving in with Friends is Cheaper!

Living in zones 1-2 is being an Uptown Snob. 

If you want to live cheaper and avoid all of the tourist traps, consider moving out of London to zone 6 or 7 instead. 

The tube fare will be about the same and it cuts out a lot of the unnecessary living costs such as travel and eating out (less snobbery).

 There Are No Jobs!

London may be expensive but that does not mean there aren’t any jobs available if you know where to look.

The most expensive places are around west London, so that’s where you’ll find the most jobs. 

Look for vacancies in the City of London, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea or Hammersmith & Fulham

 which are all home to some of the city’s biggest businesses.

 Everyone Plays Football

I’m pretty sure no one plays football in London.

 I’d say it’s more likely you’ll see people drinking in pubs…a lot.

 Just look at all of the planning applications for new bars and pubs coming through! 

One should question whether such an article is not only factually inaccurate but also offensive and irresponsible.

The article’s inclusion of the word “fact” in its title is not accurate, as Wikipedia’s article on fact states:

In scholarship, a claim is not a fact.

 In science, claims are testable statements.

 In journalism, claims are assertions of fact which can be cited to support or dispute a position or assertion.

 In law, a claim or allegation may be made in a lawsuit against another party. 

Claims are distinct from statements of opinion.

 This allows for a distinction to be drawn between presenting opinion and disseminating claimed facts.

The article’s inclusion of the word “fact” in its title causes it to be clear

 that the article intends to offer factual information about London, when in fact, it offers unverified information.

 It is also irresponsible for an article with such an intention

 to be published when it has no citations for its claims, violating Wikipedia’s guideline on verifiability.

I am therefore requesting that this article be deleted.

 If you do not feel able to deal with the deletion yourself,. 

There seems to be some confusion between fact and opinion here. 

The article acknowledges that the information

 it contains is not necessarily factual, but rather the perceived truth by the author.

 I believe that this article should be allowed to remain.

I am unsure myself as to whether this article is fact or fiction, and as such

 I would prefer not making a decision until discussion has been had around the issue. 

If you want to continue discussing this matter

 I suggest you do so at WP:ANI and if agreement still cannot be reached then perhaps an RFC would be useful. 

Thanks Bandytheband and Calidum for your replies. 

I understand your explanation of the purpose of the article, but

 I believe that there is a very grey area between fact and fiction.

 The article’s opening statement (quoted above) suggests that it intends to provide factual information, 

while at the same time its author clearly acknowledges that it contains unverified information.