The Tube makes me nervous.It's not the hurtling-through-rat-infested tracks that causes my anxiety, though: it's sitting straight across from another row of people and trying desperately hard not to look at them. Because on the London Underground, locking eyes is a definite no-no.
Forget people watching. On the Tube, you're lucky if you can engage in a spot of sneaker watching! The best thing to do is to gaze into the darkness outside the window, keeping your face carefully neutral despite whatever carnage might be going on around you.
In my years on the Tube, I've dodged nail clippings, vomit, split ends (a woman beside me was pulling them out of her hair and flinging them into the air around her) and, last Saturday, a man who felt the urgent need to relieve himself on the platform in full view of the hundred or so other people around. Just what I need to see on a Saturday afternoon!
As writers, we're told to keep our eyes and ears open for material. I'd like to introduce a caveat, for the sanity of writers near and far: except on the London Underground!
Big thanks to the most recent Blogsplashers: Christina Lee, Pauline Barclay, Cajun Delights, Elizabeth McKenzie and Kathryn Magendie (sorry, Blogger's not letting me add links for some reason!). Up to 155 now!
And you'll be happy to hear that the author speed-dating event was great fun -- thank you for all the questions! No, I did not ask about knickers. Yes, I managed to control myself!
