Sunday, 22 February 2009

365 Ficlets - Day #289 ~ "Commuter Solidarity"

“Tickets please! Please have tickets and passes ready for inspection!”

The train manager was coming, as they usually did at some point between Paddington and Reading, and I dug in my pocket for the season ticket that was indispensible to my person when outside of the house. Commuting becomes a state of mind after a while, you never leave the house without iPod, book, season ticket as well as the more common wallet and keys. Seriously, after I’ve been locked back into it for a few weeks I don’t leave the house without picking up my bag and checking it for the commuting survival kit, even if I’m actually off to see some my friends on a Saturday evening.

I looked up as I placed my ticket wallet on the table and accidentally made eye contact with the woman sitting opposite me; clearly making eye contact is forbidden on the Tube, but sometimes you can get away with it on the trains that leave Greater London. She smiled;

“You look like you are fully in commuter mode. This train every day?”

I nodded;

“Pretty much, aye.”

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