Rule 4 - Giving up your seat

Lovely example of practically a whole carriage observing this rule tonight. 

It started simply enough. A lady with crutches boarded the train at Woolwich Arsenal. Due to her incapacity, she needed to hold on to the rail to aid her. The young lady standing by the rail didn't move meaning she had problems. She was then unable to get a seat and everyone kept their heads down ignoring her.  Two gentlemen walked through from  the next carriage - one moving further along and the other stopping right by this lady. 

As we got to Plumstead one of the seated passengers got up to get off. She did apologise and said she hadn't realised. But she was hardly out of her seat when the second gentleman above jumped into it. Cue shock and outrage from those still standing!

But well done to everyone for still refusing to give up their seats. I guess they must all be pregnant or have hidden disabilities!

Rule 16 - sniffing

As its hayfever season there are lots of examples out there of people observing this rule - myself included (although I try as much as possible to be a rebel and use a tissue, but invariably when I need one the packet is buried at the bottom of my bag which means I must sniff a little). 

However, the prize today has to go to a lady that two of my colleagues shared their journey to Liverpool Street with this morning. We're not sure whether she had hayfever or a cold, but she spent the entire journey not just sniffing but snorting into the back of her throat. It was so disgusting that a gentleman sitting nearby actually had to get up and move! My colleagues would have done the same had there been anywhere to move to. 

So I would like to thank this lady for remembering the rules and disturbing her fellow passengers. 

Let's all remember to leave the tissues at home from now on. 

It must be love: Rule 26

Ahhhh isn't it sweet when a couple are so in love that they want to share it with everyone? This morning a young couple got on the train and sat next to me and my friend. When we came to the station that he was getting off at, he leaned across and gave his girlfriend several kisses. 

While standing at the door waiting for the train to stop, he looked back at her and she turned in her seat to gaze lovingly at him for a few more seconds. It was so lovely to see him mouth "I love you" and blow her a kiss 😘 and didn't make anyone feel in the least bit sick. Not even when he did the same walking away from her on the platform. 

Keep sharing the early morning love folks ❤️

Paying on the bus - rules 31 and 35

I do so love it when people try and blag their way onto a bus when they have no money on their Oyster!

This particular lady was trying to get on at Aldwych.  Now there is nearly always a queue to get on a bus here but this lady thought she could get on, stand near the driver and look for her card in her bag, while all the time still talking on her phone. She eventually found her card, tapped in and started to walk away, completely oblivious to the fact that it hadn't been accepted. The bus driver knew though and called her back. Cue more rummaging around in her bag for her purse, but now she's completely blocking the machine while still jabbering away. I'm afraid at this point I did lose my temper - I was trying to get on myself - and told her to get off the phone and deal with the situation!

It eventually transpired, after she had passed the phone to her friend, that she didn't have a contactless payment card either. Well she does but it's back in Australia. Can she use her friend's card? What do you mean no? OK then, can I give you this cash and you give me a pass? Sorry, we can't take cash. So can you help me out - can I get on the bus anyway?  I'm sorry, it's not allowed. Well yore not being very helpful are you?

Eventually after holding everyone up she got off. But how dare the driver not accept her cash or allow her to travel for free!

And as she wasn't issued with an emergency ticket she clearly knew she didn't have any money on her Oyster!

Rule 8 - phone conversations

In the last week I have heard many private phone conversations taking place very loudly while travelling to and from work, including the lawyer having a conversation with her client about his arrest for drug possession (luckily for her she didn't mention anything which could identify him).  But the best example is that which a bus driver friend overheard whilst at work yesterday.  I have copied the text exactly as he reported it (with his permission of course):

" As much as you think your phone call is private...

 You are on a bus full of people..

 Shouting your mouth off and having what you think is a private conversation really isn't...

 For instance...

 I don't think anyone wanted to know that Sarah on the second floor gave John from the IT department a bj on her lunch break... Especially the girl eating her McDonald porridge 2 seats away from you..."

 

Of course, he is wrong and everyone did want to know that obviously.

 

 

On a serious note

Regular readers of this blog will know that it is a light hearted look at those things our fellow commuters do on a daily basis that really annoy us. And let's face it, who can honestly say that they have not observed at least one of these rules?

Today though an article published by one of my local papers brings to our attention something that is definitely NOT acceptable. 

http://m.newsshopper.co.uk/news/12896453.Naked_bald_man_seen__aggressively_masturbating__and__grunting__in_Grove_Park/?ref=twtrec

 Here the rule is exactly what I say. This behaviour should be reserved for the privacy of your own home. I hope none of my readers would do this and if you have been on the receiving end of this behaviour (or ever are in the future) please make sure that you report it to the police - you can laugh at their appendages afterwards!

I have to say though, the comments on this article are amusing but please don't let them detract from the serious nature of what is being reported. 

Escalators - what is the rule here?

So we have briefly covered escalators in Rules 28 and 29:

28. When using the escalator, stand on the left and do not let anyone pass. When you reach the end, step off and stand looking about aimlessly for at least 30 seconds. We love a good escalator pile up. 

29. If people are breaking Rule 28, you may walk past them but you must bump into them and knock their shopping. Broken biscuits taste great! 

But last night I came across a new situation and am unsure what the rule is. It was the usual chaos at Bank with queues to get through both the Northern Line gate and to the Waterloo and City line. Once through the Northern Line gate, it was plain sailing until the second escalator when it started to get busy, but people were generally following the rules and acting confused in the case of tourists. However, on the last escalator down to the DLR, things got really interesting as for some reason it was heaving. Now we all know that you need to stop at the end of the escalator and look around but what do you do when you can't get off because the passage way is blocked but the escalator keeps moving you forward? Do you just bang into the back of people or do you try and avoid them? Avoiding was not possible last night - and meant everyone was breaking the Golden Rule about not talking on public transport!