#youcannotbeserious

Creature of habit.

I will always sit in the seat at the front of the 1st carriage.

There is a small internal whoop of joy when there are no changes (I am easily pleased) and I do not have to emerge sleepy-eyed 3 stations from the final destination.

From my little corner on the carriage I can observe - the little dramas that fill the sixty minutes it takes to get from West to East.

Today I am amused.

Today I watch as irritation meets hunger.

I can smell the fried food before the owner reaches my end of the carriage. I must admit, even my stomach is rumbling.  The carrier of the chips and burger sits down next to me and munches away. I am just about to settle in an iPod haze, the 'I've Got To Tell You What A State I'm In' playlist is loaded and ready to go, just about to hit the shuffle button for that extra element of 'surprise', when the woman opposite  us clear her throat.

We both look up - and the woman makes the noise again and says "You're not serious?"

The eater of chips carries on eating. I carry on...,well - sitting.

The woman speaks again "You can't eat on the Tube, it smells!"

The eater of chips, stops for a moment, takes a bite from her burger, chews, swallows and continues to stare at the woman opposite her. The eater of chips takes another chip from the paper bag and replies "I'm hungry, I'm tired, I've had a long day".

The woman opposite - somehow had left her empathy at the ticket office, says, "I don't care about that. I'm tired too. I should be able to get on the Tube and not have to smell that food"

The chip eater continues with the mission, never wavering - "Sorry, I can't help you there. You're free to move"

The woman opposite is clearly not grateful for this  piece of advice - it is the first time I have seen an outraged splutter - and it is truly amusing...