Ahh, the joys of the daily commute on public transport. Car-drivers just don’t know how lucky they are.
Case in point: a woman was fined £1,500 after she screamed at a fellow passenger on a rush-hour train. It transpired that the other passenger had been eating boiled eggs, at 6am, on a journey from Essex to London Liverpool Street.
And this isn’t the only outrageous thing to happen on the daily commute – far from it. We asked readers to share their stories and they didn’t hold back: from the “nonplussed” guy who wet himself, to the man who flossed his teeth then stuffed the string behind the seat. Why?
For some people, all etiquette truly goes out the window on public transport.
The Ear Biter
“I was on a train back after a work party, and there was a guy who asked to borrow my phone to make a call. He’d just been released from prison, had his small box of belongings and was in a grey sweatsuit. He was really chatty and just needed to call home to get a lift – so it was all well and good until he went on to explain how he’d bitten someone’s ear off.” - Sarah
The Wee Accident
“A guy I sat opposite peed his pants – they were mustard-coloured so I could see it spreading really obviously. He seemed nonplussed about it and got off at the next stop. I then had to give wet seat warnings to other passengers until I reached my stop.” - Alison
The Sleepy Passenger
“A drunk woman fell asleep on my shoulder during a journey home. It’d make more sense if it was later on – when the rest of the carriage is also drunk – but it was about 6pm. The most hilarious part was when the train pulled to a halt, and she jolted and woke up, she realised she was on my shoulder and just laughed – then put her head back on it anyway! I sat awkwardly rigid the rest of the 25-minute journey home because there were no other seats. When I got off, she laughed again, said thanks and that she was exhausted. She obviously just used me as a pillow on purpose.” - David
The Nail Dust
“One of the worst experiences for me was when I was sat on the Tube and noticed dust falling on me from above. I looked up and a woman, who was standing in the aisle, was casually filing her nails. It was falling on my lap and she had no care in the world.” - Sara
The Massage Extraordinaire
“I was on the Central Line and witnessed a woman contorting her body and then getting her bare feet out to massage her body, using one of those massage tools/recovery sticks. It was odd. She ended up using it to whack her body, especially her legs, at force.” - Madeleine
The Accidental Babysitter
“I have a half an hour commute to and from central London every day and often see a mum and her little girl on the way home. One day, her kid was causing havoc screaming for wanting ‘sweeties’ and the mum was in a state. She asked me to watch the little girl while she went to the loo. 20 minutes later, when I knew my stop was coming up, I went to the loo to find the mum. She was sat in the next carriage on her phone, just chilling! She obviously needed a break. (And thankfully the kid behaved well for me).” - Leanne
The Egg-strovert
“Once I sat next to a man peeling and eating hard-boiled eggs on the Tube. He had little sachets of salt and ketchup in his Tupperware to season them with, too. The woman opposite and I had serious giggle repression.” - Daisy
The Snake Whisperer
“A man brought a snake on my train and had it out for everyone to hold. No joke. I’ve never been so amazed before!” - Joey
Floss Horror
“I witnessed a man floss [his teeth] on the train. That wasn’t the worst part, though. He then proceeded to stuff the used string in his seat, thinking no one saw. But obviously, I saw everything.” - Jo