In message , Clive D. W. Feather
writes
In article , Paul Corfield
writes
me - "Oh South London, I just went to see what it was like and how to
get there on a bus."
friend - "on a bus? you must be mad"

Some years ago I had a two-night stay somewhere in New Joisey. On both
evenings I took a train (PATH, more precisely) into Manhattan to meet
up with friends.

On the second evening the other person (a banker) asked me what I had
done the previous evening.

Me: I met up with a friend and we rode around the subway.
He: You rode the *subway*? For **fun**?!?

Well he *was* a banker.......

Actually, talk of New Jersey has just reminded me of a story I may have
recounted here before.

In about 1993 I went with a group of Tramway Museum Society members on
my first trip to the US. While staying in New York, three or four of
us went early one morning over to Newark to ride on the then PCC cars
running there.

We were standing on an overbridge above Heller Parkway when a local (?)
lady came along and said, in a rather puzzled way, "Why are you
photographing the trolleys?".

One of us began his reply with "Well, we're from England and......." and
she said simply "Oh *right*" and walked off, as though possession of
English nationality immediately explained any kind of eccentric
behaviour.

It is a national trait of which I for one am very proud! :-)

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk