Courtesy on the Tube...

[Beowulf]

Moved from the "What have you learnt..." thread - DavidJames

Not to leave a paperback on the seat next to you on the Tube .. .. .. at least not if you want to keep it !

I had finished reading "The Body Thief" by Anne Rice and placed it on the back of the seat next to me while I rummaged in my rucksack for my PDA.

While I was engrossed on my PDA a woman came on, sat next to me read her copy of the Metro then glanced down at the book.. picked it up.. read the back cover.. .. .. then put it into her bag !

I was gobsmacked. But in the truest British introvert manner... I didn't say anything ! She'd obviously thought someone had left it behind deliberately.. I know that's not uncommon. And it was a 2nd hand book to me anyway, was well thumbed and I had finished it.

At least she'll read it and perhaps pass it on again

[Gav]

Not to leave a paperback on the seat next to you on the Tube .. .. .. at least not if you want to keep it !

I had finished reading "The Body Thief" by Anne Rice and placed it on the back of the seat next to me while I rummaged in my rucksack for my PDA.

While I was engrossed on my PDA a woman came on, sat next to me read her copy of the Metro then glanced down at the book.. picked it up.. read the back cover.. .. .. then put it into her bag !

I was gobsmacked. But in the truest British introvert manner... I didn't say anything ! She'd obviously thought someone had left it behind deliberately.. I know that's not uncommon. And it was a 2nd hand book to me anyway, was well thumbed and I had finished it.

At least she'll read it and perhaps pass it on again

Did you lay down so she could wipe her feet on you as well?

[David Bailey]

While I was engrossed on my PDA a woman came on, sat next to me read her copy of the Metro then glanced down at the book.. picked it up.. read the back cover.. .. .. then put it into her bag !

Good grief

Having said that, people do leave papers and stuff on the Tube all the time, but that's particularly thoughtless - she should at least have asked you if it was yours, even with a paper that'd be only courteous.

Oh, hold on - it's the Tube we're talking about, silly me

[bigdjiver]

Not to leave a paperback on the seat next to you on the Tube .. a woman came on, .. picked it up.. then put it into her bag ! ...At least she'll read it and perhaps pass it on again

Wait for the film? Anthony Hopkins tells of reading a paperback, thinking that it would make a good film, underlining in red all of the dialogues that would have to be translated into American. Then he lost it

Later he was asked if he would like to star in the film of the book.

Later he talked with the producer. The idea of the film came from him reading a paperback he had found in a tube station- with lots of the dialogue underlined in red ....

stretches my credibility, but then again so does a lot of the universe.

[Double Trouble]

Oh, hold on - it's the Tube we're talking about, silly me

Exactly...! Some miserable bltch on the tube the other day had a free paper by the side of her, but was reading some work related document...obviously intending to take the paper with her off the tube and read it later. Three people asked her if they could have a look at the paper and she said no to all of them! She wasn't even reading it.

I hate the tube. It's full of nutters, stinkers, eaters, drinkers and mingers.


I'm the only perfect one on there, obviously.

[Twirly]

I hate the tube. It's full of nutters, stinkers, eaters, drinkers and mingers.

Precisely why I avoid it if at all possible!

[Barry Shnikov]

Exactly...! Some miserable bltch on the tube the other day had a free paper by the side of her, but was reading some work related document...obviously intending to take the paper with her off the tube and read it later. Three people asked her if they could have a look at the paper and she said no to all of them! She wasn't even reading it.

I don't see the problem. It was a free paper, she took possession and therefore ownership of it, it then became her property. She's free to do with it what she wants. Maybe she already read it and wanted to show an article to a friend at work, maybe to cut out a picture of an actor she fancies - who knows?

[Double Trouble]

I don't see the problem.

You'd fit in well round these parts Barry.

I bet you wouldn't give up your set for anyone either.

[Gav]

You'd fit in well round these parts Barry.

I bet you wouldn't give up your seat for anyone either.

Be serious, he's a Lawyer. They don't give, they take.

Or so I overheard in the Gents and Kings Cross once

[fletch]

Be serious, he's a Lawyer. They don't give, they take.

Or so I overheard in the Gents and Kings Cross once

your worth more than this cheep shot Gav

[Double Trouble]

[/COLOR]


your worth more than this cheep shot Gav

It's You're not your....and he was joking.

[David Bailey]

your worth more than this cheep shot Gav

No he's not

Unless that's a cunning chicken-related pun of course...

[Gav]

No he's not

Unless that's a cunning chicken-related pun of course...

Nope, just a paltry joke.

I'll get my coat.

[Barry Shnikov]

O blimey, can't hurt me with lawyer insults.

Q: what do you call 500 dead lawyers? A: a pretty good start.

Q: How many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: None, lawyers only screw us.

La la la.

More here.

[Barry Shnikov]

You'd fit in well round these parts Barry.

I bet you wouldn't give up your set for anyone either.

I'd love you to enlighten me as to your view on the matter. Are you saying that because the paper was originally provided to her without charge by its publishers, that therefore she has some kind of obligation to hand it over to anyone who happens to demand it?

Are you similarly generous with, e.g., a bottle of perfume you were given as a present?

Or is it something else you disliked about her?

I seldom give up my seat on the tube, because almost invariably i am standing up...

[Beowulf]

That an innocent post about a cheap 2nd hand book which I was finished with being appropriated by someone else on the tube can flare up !!

in my defence..
1. I am not a doormat, had I really been bothered I would have said something.
2. I was amusingly incredulous , "She's not is she ?.. she flaming well is you know!"
3. People do leave books behind deliberately on trains for people to help themselves too. I did place mine on the back of the seat next to me (so not to take up another seat on an already busy tube) as I was engrosed on my PDA / paper at the time she obviously thought I wasn't worried about it. She made an assumption that was incorrect, but it's an easy one to make.
4. She saved me the trouble of taking it back to a charity shop in Aberdeen..

And besides.. Anne Rice? Body Thief? Not a book I particularly wanted anyway.. if she gets more pleasure out of it than I did.. good on her!

Anyway.. I'm not the only one on the forum that leaves books for others..

[Double Trouble]

I'd love you to enlighten me as to your view on the matter. Are you saying that because the paper was originally provided to her without charge by its publishers, that therefore she has some kind of obligation to hand it over to anyone who happens to demand it?

Well...I don't know what the correct thing would be to do, but I would have given the paper to anyone who wanted it, if I wasn't actually reading it at the time.

Are you similarly generous with, e.g., a bottle of perfume you were given as a present?

If someone on the Tube asked me for a squirt of perfume because they were feeling a bit sweaty...I would gladly help out.

Or is it something else you disliked about her?

I seldom give up my seat on the tube, because almost invariably i am standing up...

Ok then...if a pregnant lady/elderly person with stick/blind person walked on to a tube, and you were standing, but no one was prepared to give up their seat for them...would you say something? Would you ask the sitters to give up their seat on that persons behalf?

[Barry Shnikov]

Well...I don't know what the correct thing would be to do, but I would have given the paper to anyone who wanted it, if I wasn't actually reading it at the time.

..and that's generous of you. But she wasn't being selfish, just not generous.

If someone on the Tube asked me for a squirt of perfume because they were feeling a bit sweaty...I would gladly help out.

Not quite the same thing, though, is it?

Ok then...if a pregnant lady/elderly person with stick/blind person walked on to a tube, and you were standing, but no one was prepared to give up their seat for them...would you say something? Would you ask the sitters to give up their seat on that persons behalf?

I'm a bit elderly myself, so that would be me hoping someone would help me out...
I probably would not say anything, but it would depend on the circs...I'm racking my brain but I can only really envisage two types of tube journey - the one where the carriage is so crowded that getting on board is like a cross between all in wrestling and avoiding tackles on the rugby field, and the one where there are two free seats for every passenger.
Mostly my efforts went into avoiding permanent debilitating leg injuries caused by women using double-buggies as if they were a crowd-control device...

[David Bailey]

I've moved this stuff to a separate thread...

[Double Trouble]

Mostly my efforts went into avoiding permanent debilitating leg injuries caused by women using double-buggies as if they were a crowd-control device...

Have you ever tried to steer one of those things? I've had 3 different double buggies for my kids over the years...2 side by sides and one long one where they sit behind one another.

Have a go yourself Bazza, then I'll worry about your legs being injured.