As an upfront statement, I do not consider myself an angry person or someone who does not like people. Not at all. In fact it is the opposite. I was the other day doing my daily commute to the office and I started to think in all the things that “annoy” me when I am travelling through London. I started to laugh and decided to share it. This will be a fun post!
I have been living and working in London for about 9 years and I have a good idea of what it feels like when commuting between home and a job place: the rain, the cold, the overcrowd, the public transport delays (cancellations even worst)… One really get used to this lifestyle and assume these things as natural. But for some people it can get very stressful and seriously the main reason to change of life or even move away from busy London. I will dedicate this post for these people hoping to put a smile on them.
Let’s get started. These are the things my inner angry Londoner hate while commuting:
The Picnic
People eating their breakfast-lunch-dinner in a crowded bus or train. I am not saying people that sporadically had a complicated morning with no time to eat at home; I refer to the people that every day do this. Why I have to get your crumbs on me because you fell like your are on holiday eating outside?
The Dressing Table
Women putting on makeup. Let’s be straight here: why? I would probably pass the previous point as eating is essential for living, but makeup… And I would say you see this more often than people eating. I have encounter women actually throwing makeup powder in my shoulder. Even cut or file nails! that I found actually disgusting. For me is like if I stand in me middle of the bus, put down my trousers and take a dump… These things are personal hygiene and needs to be done in private.
The Morning Skunk
In general, weird and dirty smells in the morning. And we all know this is true… Who has not sit next to someone smelling like haven’t had a shower or wash the clothes in years? We all sweat and get dirty during the day. I do understand this to happen at the end of the day or in the commute back home. But at 7am? that’s a NO.
My Spot, My Kingdom
What about the people who does not move an inch even if they are blocking all possible way in or out of a bus or train? And this is worst when it is packed with people. They do not squeeze or move even if you ask them. And they look at you like if they are thinking: “I was here first, so back off!”. Come on, that rule does not apply when we are like sardines in a can. And what about when they even read the newspaper while standing in the middle hitting the pages in other people faces? Cannot you wait to read it in the street or in your office?
A special mention to those who lean on the vertical hand bar of the tube. Very few things are more selfish than this one. You try to grab a spot of the bar which is free and… do not dare to ask the person to move! They will look at you like if you are in life debt with them.
The Walking Library
People who read books (or watch videos in their mobile) while walking on the street or switching platforms. I would say this is almost a security concern. Many times I had to quickly jump aside because they do not care what is upfront. They just keep walking straight like a train no stopping because what they are reading is more important than their security (and security of others). It is selfish way of feeling more important that the others: “Step aside or die!”.
The Telephone Switchboard
People constantly speaking loudly on their phones. This one increases every year and you can find a variety of conversations: talking to their friends (if friends call me at 7am just for chatting, I will kill them), work phone calls (specially funny are the sales ones where they try to get business sitting between someone deeply sleeping and someone eating a smelly porridge). An the ones more annoyed: calls to services. There are people who wait to sit in a bus or train to call their Internet provider to complain screaming at them… why?
The Walking Office
People hitting their laptop’s keyboard like if they are already in the office. I understand you want to get on mood to work and seize time; but do you need to write the Bible in a super-fast mode when you are commuting? The quickest and loudest, the better. Sometimes this one can be combined with the previous one and having a fully capable office while they travel. Is this a bad thing? No, but I found it funny.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Sometimes life can be stressful and it is better to laugh at these things. Just problems from the first world.
