People shared the weirdest things they’ve seen on a commute and it’s a fabulously eye-opening ride

Despite the obvious attractions – and advantages – of working from home (get more work done! get more home time!) the pressure for us all to pile back into the office is becoming relentless (for those of us with an office sort of job, obviously).

And the return to the commuting lark got us thinking about this fabulous thread from back in the day which all stated when the estimable Jim Felton asked this,

What’s the weirdest thing you saw on your commute? I once sat next to a man who pulled a baked potato out of a briefcase and ate it like a apple

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) February 13, 2021

And it turned out people had seen lots of weird things – lots and lots of weird things – and here are 17 of our favourites.

1.

A man’s flat cap got pulled off his head by the draught of a tube train. As he watched it vanish into the tunnel, he opened his shoulder bag, took out a new cap and put it on his head without missing a beat or changing expression.

— Crispin (@SirMustard) February 13, 2021

2.

My husband once forgot to drop the bin bag at the bins at the end of the garden and got on the train with it instead, had to sit next to it for his commute ‍♀️

— Olivia Rowley (@oliviaRowley17) February 13, 2021

3.

Ticket collector comes round: ‘Tickets please’. Woman pulls bible from her bag and says ‘This is my ticket, my ticket to heaven’. Without missing a beat, ticket collector says ‘Well I’ve got bad news for you, madam, this train’s going to Hastings’

— frances quinn (@franquinn) February 13, 2021

4.

On the Northern line a guy dressed as a Roman gladiator got on at Stockwell….at Borough a guy got on dressed as a crocodile…he went into hysterics when he saw gladiator..saying Claire said come as an alligator you f ing muppet

— The Fish (@FishBigThe) February 13, 2021

5.

Guy taking his rabbit to London for an evening out. pic.twitter.com/UMKBbqStJT

— Toby (@TobyCouchman) February 13, 2021

6.

I sat opposite a bloke who was singing a lullaby to something wrapped in smelly newspaper which he was holding like a baby. Turned out to be a salmon.

— Argyll (@ElizabethArgyll) February 13, 2021

7.

Back when no one had a mobile phone, & some guy used to travel on my train shouting Trigger Happy style into his huge briefcase sized Motorola, till the morning he was in mid ‘conversation’ & it actually rang. He hadn’t got a clue how to answer it, & when he did, it was his mum.

— Jon Waples NHS (@Jon_Waples) February 13, 2021

8.

Once saw a man on the tube produce a Terry’s Chocolate Orange from his coat pocket (still in the wrapper but not in the box). He then cracked open the individual segments by repeatedly smashing it very hard against his own forehead before opening the foil & silently eating it.

— Smithy (@smudgenelli) February 13, 2021

9.

Oh – must also mention the man on a train who got through a whole bag of Werthers Originals by swallowing them whole with glugs of Sprite.

— Crispin (@SirMustard) February 13, 2021