tips for walking in the london crowds (most are just good tips in any place with more than 3 people walking anywhere):
1) find the biggest, fastest person and stay closely behind him if you are both travelling the same direction.
2) when following the person mentioned in the previous tip, switch people periodically or you’ll spook the poor guy.
3) when departing the railway, find a large, immobile object and stand close to it while adjusting your coat, scarf, briefcase, etc. DON’T stand in the middle of everyone that is moving around you to make the adjustments.
4) same goes for looking wildly around for the signs that point to the next rail line or the “Way Out”.
5) when walking, lead to the left. you may bump into someone or another at times but at least you can say that you’re following the rule of the road… which leads to the next tip:
6) nearly everyone here comes from somewhere else. especially when you bump into others in the railway. since social mores and attitudes differ from culture to culture, be conservative and practice the (hard for us americans) skill of not looking around whenever someone enters the rail car. to us americans, it’s considered part of a normal appraisal process. to londoners it’s considered gawking and brings attention to both the viewer and the viewee. not good.
7) you can smile and nod to indians and the french and they’ll smile back and may even cut up a bit if you share a common funny experience (like losing your balance when the train moves about and flailing wildly into the air for the grab bar). don’t expect a response from anyone else. they’re not being rude — they’re just trying not to embarass the both of you. see previous point.
8) don’t carry bulky big black briefcases with you on the railways. that sets off all kinds of security alarms. you’ll soon have an entourage of uniformed guards casually stolling past you. on the plus side, the added security presence scares off the pickpockets.
9) when you bump into someone or are in someone’s way, DON’T say “excuse me” or “pardon me”. doing so will announce the fact that you’ve just farted. say, “sorry” instead.