There is an unspoken rule when entering or leaving a tube station that you are supposed to have your ticket / oyster card ready to go so that you can enter the station in one fluid motion. If you hold up the entire queue because you forgot to take your card out of your bag, you will definitely receive several filthy looks, no one will actually say anything, but their glares speak a thousand words.
Well, sometimes there is just nothing to be done about holding up the line. As you enter or exit a station, there is a row of little gates and each one has a pad to the right hand side where you tap your oyster card. Ninety-five percent of the time, this motion goes off without a hitch, but that other five percent is the problem. Whenever the machines are feeling particularly touchy they decide to bar you from entering and flash “Seek Assistance” in bright red letters. One day, I was in the queue to exit, my card ready, and low and behold I got the fateful “Seek Assistance” message. The British man behind me let out a small grunt of irritation, and my outspoken American nature kicked in. I turned around, looked him in the eye, and said, “Really? Do you think I wanted this to happen?” He stared at me blankly for a few seconds, in which I was fully expecting a searing look to be shot my way.
But instead, he gave me one of those crooked smiles and said, “I Suppose not. Well, carry on then.” On the second attempt it let me through, and I emerged onto the street with my head held high. I, the loud American, proved that sometimes verbal communication is quite beneficial and that maybe angrily tapping your foot in silent protest is just silly.
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