Well I didn't wite the Guiardian article, but as I understand it thee reason the job is so popular is entirely down to the strikes, industrial action has maintained a reasonable salary for those currently employed as well as all future train drivers.....had there been no action, they would be on pitiful wages and we would be desperately short of staff and a decent tube service may not be posssible.....then people would be just as pissed off as they are today.
Try using the Northern Line at 8am on a monday and looked for someone who isn't pissed off
Try using the Northern Line at 8am on a monday and looked for someone who isn't pissed off