And while travelling to work… the daily commute
What is like travelling to work on the tube during rush hour.
The same old story every day for you to get on the tube. Same journey, travelling time and stations, thousands of anonymous faces - ignoring every single one of them. A typical behaviour of a cosmopolitan individual who never seems to see the same people around. Waiting for the train… time flies, you only wish that you aren’t late. Finally on the train… time stops… and the next stop, and the next, and the next… Dear readers let’s kill the time together - just few more minutes till getting of.
Obviously you can expect train and stations to be very crowded, but what you can’t expect is missing 3 or more trains to get on one, struggling in the line if there’s any unpredictable delay, a closed stop, others pushing your back running at the exit station…. All this and you just pretend it doesn’t bother you at all.
Have a look around you. Am I right or am I right? There is no such a space to occupy your look. Everywhere is filled up with stranger’s faces reading the newspaper, busying themselves with their iPad - ‘thank you technology!’ People skip by staring at each other’s faces. The lucky ones are the readers which transports from all the frustration around.
If you happen to forget your favourite magazine don’t worry, you may entertain yourself catching the loud tune any young man sitting next to you is playing on his headphones. ‘Respect!’ Very helpful, unless you don’t agree with his taste on music. Putting yourself under those noisy headphones, the thought is terrifying. Really! Techno music at 8 am. How can someone do that!
Thank God you had time to buy a coffee at the nearest coffee shop. While enjoying it have a peaking look at the main headlines of someone’s newspaper opposite you. He reads its front page and you the back of it. Interesting title! Such a pity you can’t read the whole article. This is his stop. Don’t forget your paper next time. What now! Have a look around. Full of strangers, impatient faces but calm, some dressed smart and others casual. Where are they going to, where do they work…. Who knows! Who cares! Anyway.
An overcrowded train during rush hour is not a new thing. On the contrary it’s usual routine stuff. Don’t you think so? I am not sure how London Transport was a decade ago, but what I see so far in people’s behaviour (since I live in this enormous city) - devout of any revolt or reaction in their eyes - approves to me that things have been like this for a while. The underground system with millions of journeys per day and passengers moving around the city cause a very busy network especially during the peak time. Pretty much the same for buses and overgrounds.
Oh, next stop is mine.
Dear readers was it distracting reading this? Hope so. An interesting story next time. Promise! Till then enjoy the rest of the day.
