this is
bank
change here for
the central line
the bakerloo line
network southeast
and intercity rail services
this train terminates at
ealing broadway
please mind the closing doors
as much as i romanticize about london towne, each and every visit back not only conjures up (all misty-eyed) old larphs, but also builds to my overall ‘london experience’ with new memories.
i’m finding more and more now that i actually tend to enjoy public transportation… erm… commuting… sitting, with strangers, who i undoubtedly will never see again (unless some strange intervening force steps in).
on airplanes, it’s quite easy to remain anonymous for your whole journey — in-flight entertainment, noise-cancelling headphones, a little sleepy-sleep. in san francisco, almost all forms of muni (the metro, the busses) are either so crowded that you’re unpleasantly face-to-face with someone, or are empty enough that you just sit in your seat and stare at the back of someone else’s head.
the london underground, also known as “the tube”, is, for the most part, an exception to many subways i’ve seen. on most cars, long rows of seats line each side of the car, facing the center. so, as i board the picadilly, or bakerloo, or jubilee lines, i’ll sit with 5 people to my left, 5 to the right, with 11 sitting opposite me.
where do you look? where do you allow your eyes to rest? some lines (district, circle, and the aboveground part of the picadilly, for example) allow for somewhat scenic above-ground views. but, most lines provide no distant scenery to look at.
like most surfaces in society, advertisements are everywhere on the tube. the can provide a few minutes’ worth of entertainment, but, then it’s either time to (1) nod off, (2) read the newspaper, or… play the game.
it’s a fun game, and can really allow for some amusing journeys. what i do, more often than not, is pick out someone interesting — no, it *doesn’t* have to be that cute bloke at the end of the row that is probably… swishy. it could be that overtly pierced, but surprisingly shy punk rocker that got on at camden town station… or, it could be the german boy separated from the rest of his tourist family who are standing 15 feet away.
just glance. make eye contact. hold it.
note — this is different from staring. the goal is not to intimidate, or frighten… the goal is to connect. to, even if for just one moment, create a human-to-human relationship. rather than sharing a train with 85 ‘disposable’ images (of, therefore, ‘disposable’ people), you can create a lasting memory, a lasting connection.
is that creepy?
