That Anonymous Comedian Tube Driver

[Red Faction]

This is something that you hear everywhere in Eastern Europe. Is there any evidence for it?

in eastern europe
prague was worst for it i found
you cant move on public transport for them

i rememer leaving one of the big stations there and a filthy fat fucker was sitting on a bench there with about 15 kids at least that he was 'minding'
when they saw us they all ran over with their hands up- theyd been trained to beg for stuff
and the ones that didnt come over straight away
he shouted at and then they did

it was fucking disgusting
seeing the kids brainwashed + used that way

 

[academia]

I like the 'it's the weekend!!!' guy, though I'm sure he it was a Sunday the last time I heard him say it. Everyone smiled and I felt closer to my fellow tube cattle than normal.

'Change here for the luverlly-jubberly line, that's the Jubilee Line here at Green Park'.

 

[Zinedine*]

I like the 'it's the weekend!!!' guy, though I'm sure he it was a Sunday the last time I heard him say it. Everyone smiled and I felt closer to my fellow tube cattle than normal.

'Change here for the luverlly-jubberly line, that's the Jubilee Line here at Green Park'.

I love him too! Always brings a smile to my face and yes you do feel a kind of fellowship

 

[knopf]

Driver on the East London line, a Tuesday night, about 5pm, Whitechapel:-

Apologies for the slight delay to this service. But look at it this way - name me one other line on the underground where you're guaranteed to get a seat at this time of day.

 

[JWH]

in eastern europe...

Sorry, Red, old chap(ess), maybe I wasn't being quite explicit enough.

One of the things I have consistently heard from the majority populations from loads of Eastern European countries is this same line that, "oh, these gypsies, you know they rent their kids from each other, don't give them any money, they all have BMWs really". It dovetails conveniently with a) casual+endemic racism against Roma and b) a reason not to feel guilty about giving them money.

Now it seems that this same spiel is catching on in the UK but what I am asking is if there is any evidence for this. What you've just said is that you've seen a lot of kids begging, which proves ... ?

 

[JWH]

what I am asking is if there is any evidence for this.

Apparantly not...

 

[snadge]

This is something that you hear everywhere in Eastern Europe. Is there any evidence for it?

dunno about evidence but one came up to me, first time it had happened and I was shocked when I bent down to look at the kid in the pram and it was a fuckin' doll, she looked suitably embarrassed and scarpered pretty quickly.

 

[snadge]

I think s/he's on about women with babies begging

 

[JWH]

Yeah, I know, it's a completely irrelevant observation afaics. I'm asking if there's any evidence for the "apparantly" story that these kids are rented out to professional beggars or whether it's just racist tosh that has followed Roma from C & E Europe.

 

[tippee]

Yeah, I know, it's a completely irrelevant observation afaics. I'm asking if there's any evidence for the "apparantly" story that these kids are rented out to professional beggars or whether it's just racist tosh that has followed Roma from C & E Europe.

Fact is though I've seen groups of 12-15 Roma women with babes in arms going on / coming back from begging missions.

'Spare some change for the baby?'

It's hardly going to promote their way of life as a viable one to their new found hosts, is it?

 

[JWH]

I'm not really interested in discussing whether Roma women begging with children is or isn't good for their image amongst English people. (I don't expect anyone really cares or expects the English to be anything to hostile to them - I mean, fuck me, look how the home-grown Anglophone gypsies/travellers are treated).

No-one is disputing that women and men go out begging with children. I'm interested in seeing if anyone has come across any evidence to support this perennial story or whether the people who are happy to repeat it are just relying on the word of "some bloke down the pub" or whatever.

 

[William of Walworth]

i've heard him a lot and i think its good to see someone injecting some personality into what, frankly, must be a fairly dull job.

one of the rare the times you see people smiling on the tube and acknowledging each others existence.

used to get some character conductors on the number 73 bus when it was a routemaster.

one particular guy picked out the strangest things to point out at stops - marble arch was 'KFC and suprise suprise' and one of the stops on park lane was, for about a year, referred to as the British Motor Wreckers showroom.

he also used to get uber arsey if you didnt have your travelcard and photocard at the ready. which was annoying.

there was one west indian guy who was about to retire and in his last month or so just used to speak to everyone about his experiences on the buses since the 50s/60s and never bothered to ask for tickets.

i miss conductors

Great post!!!