At the bottom of the Piccadilly Line exit's escalator at Piccadilly Circus, saw a man very kindly giving instructions to a oriental looking tourist. It involved much arm waving and pointing at maps. I'm not sure how great the oriental man's English was hence the "air traffic controller" style arm movements.



I often have to give people directions when I arrive at or leave Kew Gardens station as it's a major tourist attraction. I feel that I ought to get some money off my poll tax for this public service. I certainly don't subscribe to the rather weird "Urban Interventions" seen in the delightfully diverting "Smoke" - a London peculiar magazine:



Urban Intervention No.5

When a tourist next asks you for direction insist on personally taking them to their destination, even if this involves catching a bus or taking the Tube



Urban Intervention No.6

If you are asked for directions and are unable to help, conisder recommending an alternative destination that you would find equally interesting



Many thanks to Diamond Geezer by the way for bringing Smoke to my attention.

Got rather trashed last night and had to put the auto tube pilot into gear. Got on at Leicester Square at about five to minight, then fell asleep. Did my auto wake up at Turnham Green and amazingly the next District Line was going to Richmond. I've lost count of the times I have sat at Turnham Green late at night, wanting to get home, normally wanting to go to sleep or go the loo, and loads and loads of Ealing Broadway trains have come along. (I'm sure anyone living in Ealing reading this will think I'm mad and will say there are more Richmond bound ones......they are WRONG)



Fell asleep again and luckily the auto pilot kicked in again at Kew Gardens where I fell out.

So glad that Wimbledon is over as it was playing havoc with the soap TV schedules. Not glad to see that Ariel washing powder who seem to sponsor Tim Henman's whites, have taken it upon their heads to sponsor whole District Line carriages with their ads above people's heads. This is a tad montonous and when you look at them you think; "Mmm yes, we see" I wonder how long they'll be up in the carriages, as the bright green is playing havoc with my eye sight.

Helping my friend do research for her book at the moment and a becoming obsessed with watching men on the tube sitting with their legs wide apart. If someone can please tell me why you do this? Is it genetic. The Cartoonist sent me this excellent sticker from the Japanese subway where men are simply told not to do it.







And a couple of days ago Metro had the following cartoon.







So guys it's not big or clever (well it is big I spose), but it makes you look really sad.

Hideous morning - got to Hammersmith where I normally change onto the Piccadilly Line to find it was about four people deep in folks waiting to get onto the VERY delayed Piccadilly Line. So I thinks it's best to stay put and take the District Line train that I was on - which constantly stops between stops - Embankment and change there onto the Bakerloo.....sorry YAWN, YAWN...boring travel story alert. STOP.



What was annoying about this was that it illustrates that tube sods law in that when you are delayed you will always make the wrong decision. I'm absolutely positive I'd have got into work faster had I waited for about four full Piccalilly Line trains to pass rather than to have got the Fish and Parcels Line (do not ask - I have no idea why the District Line is nicknamed the Fish and Parcels Line - particularly as I seem to be the only person I know who knows this).