Utterly Munted Man On The Tube

[hendo]

I was on the Central Line this evening when I encountered quite the most bizarre individual I've ever met in a decade of travelling on the Underground.

Around Bond Street a man with blond hair wearing light blue shorts and holding a stetson climbed on. He looked in his forties and had a tanned face which had seen some serious action; battered and a bit scarred.

He gravitated rather than walked to the seat opposite me; he then stretched himself across it and the neighbouring two, despite the armrests.

He gazed around with vacant blue eyes and appeared to be clutching oil paint tubes, without their tops.

And I noticed that the hat had freshly painted drops all over it and some of the bright red and yellow paint was leaking out of the tubes and onto the seats.

There was a kind of audible rustle among the rest of the passengers as we absorbed the arrival, you know the kind of thing you get in a tube carriage when a deranged or drunk person climbs on - its like a herd reaction among wildebeast when they notice a lion in the long grass.

The train started off and then the man tilted his head back and emitted, and I'm not exaggerating here, a loud screech.

At this point the girl a few seats away from me raised her eyes to mine and as one we got off at the next stop and went into the neighbouring carriage.

I was just getting back into my Ian Rankin when there was a hammering on the connecting door. The window was pushed down by guess who, and his arms were pointed through into our carriage. He was pointing dead ahead and screeched once again.

Then, mercifully, I was off and out.

Since my mugging I don't have the tolerance for this kind of bollocks anymore, and I suspect there's a growing mood of annoyance about these kinds of unpredictable introxicated people in environments like the Tube; but the point of my post is, why isn't there anyone you can summon to deal with this kind of thing?

[tastebud]

:D

[laptop]

In my understanding of the technology in use on the Central Line, it'd go like this:

Hello, passenger, did you just pull the emergency handle?

Well, yes, I did.

Why?

There's this... this mad man. With paint. He screeches.

So, do you want me to hold the train at the next station for 20 minutes until the Transport Bizzies show up, or shall we accept that there are 8 million tales in the naked city, and this one never happened?

[tastebud]

There's this... this mad man. With paint. He screeches.

-i think i'm suffering from hysteria...
but... :D

[bristle-krs]

There's this... this mad man. With paint. He screeches.

http://www.playingoutloud.co.uk/archive/august03/images/rolf_harris_eastleigh.jpg

:o

[DG55]

despite the armrests.

The central line doesnt sport any armrests.

[hendo]

That's true. I was wondering how he looked so comfy. :)

[noodles]

Around Bond Street a man with blond hair wearing light blue shorts and holding a stetson climbed on. He looked in his forties and had a tanned face which had seen some serious action; battered and a bit scarred.


http://images.art.com/images/products/large/10102000/10102787.jpg ??? :eek:

[fanta]

Since my mugging I don't have the tolerance for this kind of bollocks anymore, and I suspect there's a growing mood of annoyance about these kinds of unpredictable introxicated people in environments like the Tube; but the point of my post is, why isn't there anyone you can summon to deal with this kind of thing?

Perhaps the individual is mentally ill?

Did he actually threaten, try to assault or hurt you?

[kea]

how exactly would someone 'deal' with this kinda guy tho? not much you can do really. just move carriages, live and let live.

[Agent Sparrow]

Tbh, while I can see that it would be a little imtimidating, I think more intimidating is the (often drunken) tube passenger who sleezes on to you and spends the rest of the journey trying to look down your top or worse... :(

I imagine most individuals who act out like this aren't actually dangerous at all, just like the vast majority of schizophrenics not being likely at all to harm anyone else (not saying the man would have been schizophrenic but yswim).

Bascially, I think we sometimes see danger now where only eccentricity is evident, which is a shame. But then considering the current focus on what a dangerous place the world is, I can see why it happens.

[Louloubelle]

From my experience of being mugged I think that you find yourself in a state of hyper alertness for some time afterwards and things that might otherwise just be a bit disturbing feel potentially threatening.

I was on the tube a while ago and a skinny woman in a short tight red dress and who clearly had mental health problems was swearing loudly to herself while franticaly pulling scabs from her ankles

Nobody knew quite how to react when she produced a small knife and started to have a go at her ankles with the knife, she seemed to by trying to remove some real or imaginary horrible thing on her lower leg.

I just got off at the next stop and alerted the staff that there was a mentally ill woman self harming with a knife on the train. No way am I going to approach a very angry and disturbed mentally ill person holding a knife.

I felt shook up about it for a while afterwards.

In London you just don't know what kind of person you're going to meet and how dangerous they are. Moving to the next carriage is just sensible self preservation IMO.

[butterfly child]

There was some guy on the tube last week, acting very strange. At one point, he was trying to open the doors, whilst we were moving.

He got off at my station, and just hung around outside, trying to kick the doors in...

Best to steer well clear, imo.

[Agent Sparrow]

Going back to my prior post, I'm not saying the man in the OP was mentally unwell, but regarding this...
but the point of my post is, why isn't there anyone you can summon to deal with this kind of thing?
The crying shame with Britain today is that there's hardly anyone to deal with such people, for their own sake and safety :(

[hendo]

...

The crying shame with Britain today is that there's hardly anyone to deal with such people, for their own sake and safety :(

I think you've put your finger on it.

And in answer to Fanta's post, I do feel I have the right to be disturbed by anyone painting the seats and screaming.

[tastebud]

I do feel I have the right to be disturbed by anyone painting the seats and screaming.
screeching wasn't it!?
well, the story still tickles me... :)
i must stop going on urban when i can't sleep: i dreamt about the guy, ffs!

[buffalosid]

Perhaps the individual is mentally ill?




Really?

[Rohen]

If you are seriously worried about the individual you call the approved social worker on duty for that area

it is their duty to call the section 12 approved doctors to section someone under the mental health act to act in the persons safety and make sure they cant harm anyone

Alternatively you call the police and say that there is someone who needs a section 136 and they will come and take the person away

Or you PM me and I'll see what I can do

[madamv]

IMO some people have experience of different behaviour and some dont.

If you havent known someone with mental illness, drug addiction or general 'dont give a fuck attitude' then you are more likely to be intimidated. A work in a pub and you soon get used to handling piss heads - kind of thing.

Summoning someone (who?) would have pissed off your fellow travellers I expect. Delays etc. Unless we want armed guards on each tube, its going to be shift carridges and let someone else sit opposite him I guess. Crap, but life is at times.

(((Hendo))) Its not nice feeling intimidated espesh after another violent experience.

[TeeJay]

Alternatively you call the police and say that there is someone who needs a section 136 and they will come and take the person awaySometimes I wonder if I should do this about various posters here! ;)

[miss giggles]

Sometimes I wonder if I should do this about various posters here! ;)

:D LMAO!