Last week, I was thrown into the world of commuting by public transport because I was completing a journalism course in London, which meant I had to use public transport daily during rush hour. Although I have taken the tube and train many times previously, I’ve never delved into the ocean that is commuting.

Something I’ve noticed on the vast number of carriages I have ridden in the past few days, is how reserved everyone is! If you smile at someone, the likelihood of them returning the gesture is fairly low, probably due to their early alarm clock and work commitments that are circling their congested mind. I’m also pretty sure everyone feels as awkward and uncomfortable as I do when you’re forced to breathe in someone’s face or have your bag pressed against their back. Picture this: you’re sitting in a seat on the tube, and as it’s rush hour, there are bodies holding onto every bar possible in the carriage. Your face is unfortunately at hip level, so imagine how unfortunate it is when someone’s behind is in your face for about 10 minutes!

However one of the more heart warming encounters I experienced several times throughout my week, is young people giving up their seat to a less abled person. This is lovely to see! More often than not, no words are uttered, except for a kind smile exchanged between the two characters, which is apparently unusual for the stereotypical grumbling, early morning workers. It also gives you a great feeling, knowing you’ve helped someone by standing up for 10 minutes, and letting them sit down for their journey, which is most likely longer than yours.

Even though I was shattered at the end of each day (probably due to the extensive tube hopping and getting lost in the busy London streets) I wouldn’t be totally against living in London and commuting by tube. It’s pretty quick, easy and you get lots of time to write blog posts on your iPhone!

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any commuting stories as I’d love to read them!