Unlike New York, London had seen it all before.

A generation lived through the Nazi blitz, often taking refuge from nightly bombing attacks in the tunnels of the Underground.

More recently, during the "troubles" in Northern Ireland, bomb attacks on London targets were a regular feature of the Irish Republican Army's 27-year terror campaign.

As a result, Londoners long ago got used to tiny public trash receptacles and train stations that do not provide coin-operated lockers — easy places for terrorists to conceal bombs. Every child knows to keep an eye out for suspicious packages.

Londoners have learned to accept closed-circuit television cameras in almost every rail station, on busy streets and in many businesses, including pubs. Britain is reported to have more per-capita CCTV cameras than any other country in the world.

Londoners also have cultivated a healthy stoicism toward the inevitability of these attacks. They were told after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States that an attack on London — most likely on the impossibly vulnerable Underground — was nearly certain. They were reminded of this again after the March 11, 2004, attacks on the Madrid commuter trains.

Despite the worries and warnings, they continued to ride the trains and buses.

London mass transit


The Underground

Known as the Tube because of the shape of its deep-bore tunnels, it is an electric public-transport system running both above and below ground through the metropolitan London area.

The first track began running Jan. 10, 1863, making this the oldest subway system in the world.

It consists of 12 lines, 274 stations and more than 250 miles of track. More than 3 million passenger journeys are logged each day.

Buses

More than 6,500 buses carry about 5.4 million passengers on more than 700 routes each weekday — a total of more than 1.5 billion passengers a year.

In 2002-03, London's buses traveled 246.7 million miles.

Red double-decker buses, a symbol of the capital city, are still featured on many routes.

Several companies operate groups of routes under contract from London Buses.

The Associated Press

When the bombs exploded during yesterday's rush hour, there were terrible moments of fear and panic, but order and calm quickly prevailed. The police and fire departments, the rescue squads and medical teams were all well-rehearsed. Except for those trapped in the Piccadilly-line train at King's Cross Station, the entire transit system was successfully evacuated in about an hour.

In his address to the nation last night, Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to "the stoicism and resilience of the people of London who have responded in a way typical of them."

Yesterday morning, the priority was getting in touch with loved ones — it seemed everyone had a cellphone in hand. By evening, maps replaced phones as thousands of Londoners tried to navigate routes home made unfamiliar by police roadblocks and shuttered subway stations.

Londoners took pride in their tradition of fortitude and quiet defiance.

"As Brits, we'll carry on — it doesn't scare us at all," said tour guide Michael Cahill, 37. "Look, loads of people are walking down the streets. It's Great Britain — not called 'Great' for nothing."

Volunteers helped the walking wounded from blast sites, commuters loaned their phones so strangers could call home and thousands faced long queues for homeward-bound buses — or even longer walks — without complaint.

"People are getting on with it," said taxi driver Steve Green. "It's marvelous that they're showing their backbone."

Many in the city demonstrated the resolute "blitz spirit" that — at least in the popular imagination — prevailed through the worst days of German bombing.

The streets were uncharacteristically calm around St. Paul's Cathedral, whose vast dome towering above clouds of black smoke became a symbol of British defiance of Nazi bombers.

"I can't believe how quiet and calm the atmosphere is in the streets. People aren't panicking, they're just quietly walking," said Inga Gordon, visiting from Oslo, Norway. "It doesn't seem like they are in shock. They are just going about their business."

Some Muslim Londoners expressed fear they would be targeted in revenge. "Everyone is subdued and people are wondering what has happened," said restaurant manager Karim Mohammed. "People are asking how will it affect us, are we going to be treated in a nice way after this?"

There were no reports of revenge attacks yesterday. Computer technician Matt Carter, 25, said he was struck by how the attacks had united Londoners.

"It's amazing how people have stuck together. I've seen total strangers hugging each other and people coming out into the street with free cups of tea," he said.

"We can't let the terrorists defeat us. We've got to show them they will never win."

Mayor Ken Livingstone condemned the attacks as "an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder" aimed at "ordinary working-class Londoners."

He said the bombers would never succeed.

"I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others — that is why you are so dangerous," Livingstone said. "But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

When a journalist asked Andy Trotter, spokesman for the London Transport Police, whether authorities planned to ask commuters to stay home today, Trotter looked puzzled.

"Life must carry on," he said.

And so today, when service is expected to resume on most of the public transport system, including the Underground, they will climb on the buses and squeeze into the packed trains.

They will "mind the gap" and keep a sharp eye out for suspicious packages.