This has blown up today and whilst the majority of underground staff are fine, in my recent experience there do seem to be more and more little bullies like this guy on the tube.
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="
"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="
" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
The interesting thing is how no-one confronts him about it; even videoing him is a little passive in its own way. People shrug and tut, but there's no check on his behaviour from the community.
<a href="
http://www.jonathanmacdonald.com/?p=4024">full story</a>
Comments
How effective do you think a civil, quiet word in his ear from one of the people on the platform would have gone down?
They haven't got Oyster cards or understand Tube Maps. They do often have heavy luggage. So they wander about in small dazed groups whilst tens of thousands of Londoners try to push them over and kick them in the shins.
Also, because I cycled as often as possible it wasn't worth getting a season ticket which meant I would have been able to leave and enter the system at will.
But, once I'd sussed out that if I didn't swipe my Oyster card at Bank (at the interchange between tube and DLR) I was charged only a quid to go from Finsbury Park to Canary Wharf or even Lewisham each way it actually became cheaper to travel every day and pay per journey than get a season ticket.
The new pink Oyster readers would put paid to that trick if I was still commuting to SE16 or SE13.
My weekly trip from Crouch Hill to Clapham Junction each Monday costs £1.10 e/w if I swipe in at Gospel Oak and £4.40 if I don't.