Overheard at Cannon St station

WayneK

Waiting for my train there are two young ladies in front of me talking about holidays.

"I'm not being funny you're not leaving the country. You're only going to Ireland"

I assume geography isn't her strong point.

DaveMehmet

Bexleyheath line I presume.

CafcWest

Depends really whether its the North or South. The North is (technically) still the UK and so maybe she was right. The Republic really feels like another country with the European number plates and using the Euro.

Yanntheman

Went to Ireland and my dad got talking to two Americans who asked if we had gotten there from London via train.

Although this lady doesn't have the excuse of being American..

ValleyGary

Groups of women and trains dont mix. My god they dont half talk some poo. Theres about 5 ladies that get on a Bexleyheath, and they always seem to pick my carriage, like they know where i am just to piss me off. Forgot my headphones the other week and had the fortune of listening to what watering can they currently use. 7am this was. I was ready to top myself before we got to Eltham.

rananegra

I visited Tasmania a long time ago and remember one of the locals telling me what really pissed him off with tourists was being asked if he'd ever been to Australia.

colthe3rd

Thought this was going to be another trainspotting thread.

Viewfinder

I was in Denver, Colorado, and a bloke asked where I was from. When I said "London", he looked puzzled for a moment and asked: "Where's that in relation to Florida?".

twiggyaddick

Overheard at charing cross was this brilliant piece of geographical knowledge

"He said something about the north kent line, is it that black line on the tube? Kent's in North London right?"

Uboat

twiggyaddick said:

Overheard at charing cross was this brilliant piece of geographical knowledge

"He said something about the north kent line, is it that black line on the tube? Kent's in North London right?"

Remember the first time I went to Kentish Town, as a young teenager, thinking it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

Lincsaddick

An acquaintance of mine once said that he fancied going to Jamaica .. 'I've never been to Africa' ... AND .. he was dead serious, most Jamaicans are black, ergo Jamaica is in Africa .. ((:>)

killerandflash

colthe3rd said:

Thought this was going to be another trainspotting thread.

Or an article about the Wetherspoons opening at Cannon Street station next year

cafctom

About a year ago there was an evening where pretty much every train was either cancelled or severely delayed (surprise).

I was on the phone to a bird I was meant to be seeing that night saying "I've no idea how long it will take me to get to Greenwich, as I have to get a different route. Probably the DLR"

Then a bloke came up to me, in a SouthEastern uniform, and said "Sorry mate, heard you talking about getting back to Greenwich. I'm going the same way, whats the best route you reckon?"

DaveMehmet

cafctom said:

About a year ago there was an evening where pretty much every train was either cancelled or severely delayed (surprise).

I was on the phone to a bird I was meant to be seeing that night saying "I've no idea how long it will take me to get to Greenwich, as I have to get a different route. Probably the DLR"

Then a bloke came up to me, in a SouthEastern uniform, and said "Sorry mate, heard you talking about getting back to Greenwich. I'm going the same way, whats the best route you reckon?"

Probably fancied a two's up

Brendan_O_Connell

ValleyGary said:

Groups of women and trains dont mix. My god they dont half talk some poo. Theres about 5 ladies that get on a Bexleyheath, and they always seem to pick my carriage, like they know where i am just to piss me off. Forgot my headphones the other week and had the fortune of listening to what watering can they currently use. 7am this was. I was ready to top myself before we got to Eltham.

Whitefurze are quite decent, but I do like the Apollo's as they are easier to pour the water when you're leaning over a flower bed.

Addickted2TheReds

I remember being in New York, I was was asked where I lived and I replied "London" to which she said "oh, I know someone lives near there, in Manchester"!! She then went on to say her name in a "do you know her" way...!

I suppose with how vast USA is that Manhester is relatively close to London to be fair!

limeygent

Yanntheman said:

Went to Ireland and my dad got talking to two Americans who asked if we had gotten there from London via train.

Although this lady doesn't have the excuse of being American..

So predictable.

colthe3rd

Addickted2TheReds said:

I remember being in New York, I was was asked where I lived and I replied "London" to which she said "oh, I know someone lives near there, in Manchester"!! She then went on to say her name in a "do you know her" way...!

I suppose with how vast USA is that Manhester is relatively close to London to be fair!

Had similar in Boston. An American lady was asking us if we knew two other people sitting next to her, they were from Birmingham.

suzisausage

Last night on the tube some young bloke said he was planning his holiday for next year but didnt know where to go. he wanted a week somewhere all inclusive to do nothing - he said 'I don't want to go away to learn anything' then said 'I can't go anywhere where you have to fly for more than 3 hours cos I smoke and can't go that long without a fag'

how sad.

thai malaysia addick

suzisausage said:

Last night on the tube some young bloke said he was planning his holiday for next year but didnt know where to go. he wanted a week somewhere all inclusive to do nothing - he said 'I don't want to go away to learn anything' then said 'I can't go anywhere where you have to fly for more than 3 hours cos I smoke and can't go that long without a fag'

how sad.

Presumably, he needs a country where you can smoke in a bar too.

hawksmoor

I was in Florida years ago and had the least likely conversation with a most definitely local, American waiter. It went like this:

'So, were are you guys from?

'London.'

'Yeah, but whereabouts.'

'South London. A place called Lewisham. You wouldn't have heard of it.'

'Sure I have. Have they finished the DLR at Lewisham Station yet?'

I absolutely kid you not. Turns out his son lived in Lewisham. But it's the way he replied. It wasn't, 'Whoah. You're kidding me? What are the chances?' Didn't even sound surprised.

Macronate

mate of mine set off on a business trip to Boston, Lincs in his Vauxhall Astra a few years back.

15 hours later, he landed in Boston, Massachusetts.

still doesn't know how he did it and got in trouble for missing his meeting.

Stu_of_Kunming

limeygent said:

Yanntheman said:

Went to Ireland and my dad got talking to two Americans who asked if we had gotten there from London via train.

Although this lady doesn't have the excuse of being American..

So predictable.

You're right, American stupidity is pretty predictable, I don't know how you deal with it everyday.

cafctom

hawksmoor said:

I was in Florida years ago and had the least likely conversation with a most definitely local, American waiter. It went like this:

'So, were are you guys from?

'London.'

'Yeah, but whereabouts.'

'South London. A place called Lewisham. You wouldn't have heard of it.'

'Sure I have. Have they finished the DLR at Lewisham Station yet?'

I absolutely kid you not. Turns out his son lived in Lewisham. But it's the way he replied. It wasn't, 'Whoah. You're kidding me? What are the chances?' Didn't even sound surprised.

When I travel to the US for work I'm always surprised by how much they actually know about London compared to what the stereotypes would have you believe.

I was getting a coffee before heading into the office in Boston one morning, and I was educating my boss about Charlton and how I watch them home and away etc, when the guy in front hears me talking about Football he says "who are your team?" I replied "Oh, a small team in South East London where I grew up called Charlton."

He then astonished me by saying "Yeah I know Charlton, I remember you used to be in the Premier League and you had Jonathan Spector playing for you".

He then went went on to ask me about what I think about West Ham moving into the OIympic Stadium and winding up Leyton Orient fans!

limeygent

Stu_of_Kunming said:

limeygent said:

Yanntheman said:

Went to Ireland and my dad got talking to two Americans who asked if we had gotten there from London via train.

Although this lady doesn't have the excuse of being American..

So predictable.

You're right, American stupidity is pretty predictable, I don't know how you deal with it everyday.

There's stupidity everywhere, no more in the US than anywhere else.

GreenWithEnvy

Many moons ago I came across a lady in Newport, Rhode Island and she asked me where I was from. I said London, sensing this was going to go nowhere fast. She asked whereabout? I went to the next scale... oh "in South London" I replied. "Oh whereabouts there?" she continued. Next scale down... a little town quite near Greenwich. Oh yes she replied and I continued by saying "Eltham?". "Oh wow I grew up in Eltham" was her reply. "Which part?" to which I said Spencer Gardens and she said she grew up on Sherard Road. I mean... what were the chances of a random Yank growing up on the road next to where I grew up!?

The Red Robin

cafctom said:

hawksmoor said:

I was in Florida years ago and had the least likely conversation with a most definitely local, American waiter. It went like this:

'So, were are you guys from?

'London.'

'Yeah, but whereabouts.'

'South London. A place called Lewisham. You wouldn't have heard of it.'

'Sure I have. Have they finished the DLR at Lewisham Station yet?'

I absolutely kid you not. Turns out his son lived in Lewisham. But it's the way he replied. It wasn't, 'Whoah. You're kidding me? What are the chances?' Didn't even sound surprised.

When I travel to the US for work I'm always surprised by how much they actually know about London compared to what the stereotypes would have you believe.

I was getting a coffee before heading into the office in Boston one morning, and I was educating my boss about Charlton and how I watch them home and away etc, when the guy in front hears me talking about Football he says "who are your team?" I replied "Oh, a small team in South East London where I grew up called Charlton."

He then astonished me by saying "Yeah I know Charlton, I remember you used to be in the Premier League and you had Jonathan Spector playing for you".

He then went went on to ask me about what I think about West Ham moving into the OIympic Stadium and winding up Leyton Orient fans!

But does he know where Cory Gibbs is?

DaveMehmet

An Indian guy came to live in England to escape poverty and settled in Woolwich. At first he loved it but after 5 years, yearned to go home.

He went to the train station and asked for a single to Delhi, to which the guy in the ticket office told him that he could only get him as far as Dover where he could get a ferry.

Upon arrival at Dover the guy went to the ticket office and asked for a ticket to Delhi. The guy explained that they only went to France but he could get a train from there.

Same thing when the guy got to Calais, asked for ticket to Delhi, was told he could only go as far as Turkey etc. This went on for weeks until the guy finally got back to Delhi.

However, after a couple of weeks he realised why he'd left in the first place and went to the train station and asked for a ticket to Woolwich. "Woolwich Arsenal or Woolwich Dockyard" was the reply.

Oggy Red

GreenWithEnvy said:

"Oh wow I grew up in Eltham" was her reply. "Which part?" to which I said Spencer Gardens and she said she grew up on Sherard Road. I mean... what were the chances of a random Yank growing up on the road next to where I grew up!?

You probably went to school together then, perhaps your first snog behind the bike sheds .....?

And you don't remember!

kentaddick

limeygent said:

Stu_of_Kunming said:

limeygent said:

Yanntheman said:

Went to Ireland and my dad got talking to two Americans who asked if we had gotten there from London via train.

Although this lady doesn't have the excuse of being American..

So predictable.

You're right, American stupidity is pretty predictable, I don't know how you deal with it everyday.

There's stupidity everywhere, no more in the US than anywhere else.

back in 2009 me and my mates stopped off in camden town before heading off to hyde park to go see Blur. Sat next to a north american in the food area where there were benches who turned out to be the head of animation at dreamworks and was on holiday here with his daughter. He knew where kent was and asked if we knew gravesend as he had family there. He's actually Canadian but what the hey, he's spent most of his life in LA and he was extremely polite to a 3 stoned teenagers so I'll use it as a story to defend americans.

There's a lot of americans in the world which obviously means there's more stupid americans as a result.

Riviera

Charlton is more East London than South........