Fight fight fight! (Week 2)

On my way home from school today, I saw something frightening–a fight almost broke out on the tube. Yes, Londoners were actually snapping at each other and being very rude. More specifically, a business man (in a tailored suit–need I say more) was arguing with a tube worker A perfect storm of a long day and tired people, the antsy disagreement crescendoed into fifteen to twenty minutes of waiting for the tube to continue on its way. (Note to future self: don't argue against the man with the power to hold the train; you can't win.)

It was about seven, the end of a long work day. And a Wednesday no less. The tube, like usual at rush hour, was pretty crowded. Because we were at Clapham Junction (the end of the line), hordes of people were waiting while everyone got off. Naturally, it took a while to unboard and reboard. When everyone was getting on, somehow the door kept closing. There are a thousand of reasonable explanations as to why. Well, at least two: it just does that or someone kept knocking the close open accidentally. But some tired P.U.S (poor unfortunate soul) was convinced it was the station worker purposefully closing the door on him. I guess when P.U.S gets tired, his mind doesn't make very logical conclusions. Then again, maybe he actually does believe the world revolves around him and his suit.

Whatever the reason, his mind or his suit, the P.U.S stood there, hating the tube. While he never raised his voice, the P.U.S kept arguing with the man with the power–the tube worker. "You're abusive, that's what," said the P.U.S, repeatedly. I couldn't actually hear what the worker said ever, but I gathered that he wanted the P.U.S to step off the train to deal with the situation. Of course, however, the P.U.S had other ideas, namely he wanted to go home. Unfortunately, so did everyone else except the worker, who held the train. For twenty odd minutes. Waiting the the P.U.S.

Later, once we were out of the line of fire, I started to think about the clash of personalities. In the US, I don't think the people in the compartment would have been so quiet. During the incident, there was one man who would periodically yell for the P.U.S to quit arguing, and one mother with an autistic child who was worrying (and the child who was...getting anxious). Oh, and one other man who was trying to smooth out the situation. Everyone else was either silent or having a very quiet conversation with one other person. In the US, this probably would have been upgraded to calling the police to subdue the train because everyone would want to have his opinion known. As it was in London, I think people were super annoyed with P.U.S (at least, I was), and I think they were surprised at the argument and didn't know exactly how to handle it. So, being English, most minded their own business.