Any citizen of the big smoke, or visitor to it for that matter, knows the trials and tribulations that tube travel entails. You muscle, scrap that, shuffle, your way through a crowd of grumpy, hungover people just like you, to a seat which has long been taken, only to be sandwiched between someone dropping KFCrumbs on your shoes as they mouth the lyrics, incorrectly, to Despacito.
We all know there’s desperate need for distractions, whether it’s from the mind-numbing monotony of the daily commute or the risk of making eye-contact with a co-worker in the same carriage. With this in mind, here are our 5 IDEAL time-killing activities when you’re on the tube.
PLAY A GUESSING GAME IN YOUR HEAD
We all do it, don’t we? We have a whole host of go-to-guessing games which only require an imagination and furtive glances. To name but a few; we like to look at everyone’s shoes and decide which we’d be happy to wear and on what occasion. Weird? Probably, but it’s a game that keeps on giving, as passengers alight and disembark with regularity.
Making suppositions about what people got up to the previous night, or where they’re headed the current one, is another simple game. Londonist have a great list of games to play on the tube here if you’re after more ideas.
Or, get more ambitious and create Haikus about the rich tapestry of characters in the carriage. Here’s one we made earlier…
guilt stricken, hidden
by beard, make-up and scent
but i know your game
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MYRIAD FREE PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE
We wish ‘rush hour crush’ in the Metro was its own, feature length daily. It’s the perfect blend of comedy and romance and fills a few minutes of any journey. Stylist, NME, Time Out and Foodism also have enough going for them to be worth extending your arm for as you pass their keen distributors. You think you don’t need them, you might politely decline, but everyone has felt the joy and relief of finding one on the train before a long ride when your phone is out of battery.
TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN NEW SKILLS
It seems absurd, counter-intuitive even, but your commute is a large heft of time that could genuinely be well spent. Set simple, achievable goals for a week of travel. Maybe learn and memorise 20 common sign-language phrases. Listen to an audiobook of Ancient Japanese history. Read a recipe book of a cuisine you’re unfamiliar with. Do anything to use the time productively.
PLAY A GAME ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR USE AN APP
A fail-safe option, and one you’ll notice half the bloody train are doing if only you’d look up from your candy crush. Games, both simple like snake, or battery and data-draining like the new addition of mobile Football Manager, are so adept at killing tube-time that you’ll be genuinely disappointed when you reach your destination.
Or if you think playing games is a waste of time, there are a number of apps you can download for life-hacking and getting stuff done during your commute.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
There is no place more infuriating, more irritating, than a packed commuter train. We’re jealous of all those commuters on the Oxford Tube (with all that legroom) who don’t have to deal with the underground and all the torment it brings. Jealousy aside, when you’re on tube, there is no place more worthy of mindfulness. Download a podcast which guides you through breathing techniques, keys to relaxation and more, and spend the journey blissed out, peaceful and unaware of the annoyances you’d otherwise be fixated on.
