r/london • u/Creative_Recover • 1d ago
Local London My 2nd experience sitting in a carriage with someone smoking Crack
I was travelling back from work during a busy(ish) hour when I became aware that a number of people before me had started to get up and move away before what was normal for the next stop.
I looked up and saw a dirty, scuffy-looking man opposite me and I initially thought that he was homeless (and that other people were moving away because he smelt bad or something) before realising that he was behaving oddly and attempting to light a small, metal pipe. Thinking he was just drunk, I said "Dude, no- you can't do that here" before I recognised that he was attempting to light up some crack.
He was as high as a kite, occasionally looking around but not really focusing on anything, with a gormless grin expression on his face. He was phlegming and spitting on the floor near-constantly too; every few moments he'd spit yellow liquid onto the floor below him whilst constantly clicking away at his lighter trying to get his crack to smoke, which was largely burnt up mass but still pungent enough to recognise that it was crack.
I deliberated for a few moments before calmly getting up and moving over to the other end of the carriage. During these few moments, most people either left the carriage to wait at another stop or joined me at the other end, leaving the crack addict to enjoy his half of the carriage alone.
I was calm, but I could tell that many others were unnerved and/or repulsed by the man, especially the young women on the carriage. And when I got off at my stop, I saw him scurry off onto another platform and get onto another carriage.
I went to tell a TFL worker about what I'd just witnessed, telling them the carriage number, guys description and general direction. But the TFL guy said that there basically wasn't much they could do about him.
Apparently the crack addict was so well known them that they had complaints about him every 1-3 days and that he was so familiar that the workers all knew him by his 1st name. He'd been a homeless crack addict for at least 10 years (possibly up to 20 they said) and ge lived primarily in Brixton, just outside the station. BTP weren't much interested in him either because the police were reluctant to deal with him (because what exactly could they do beyond putting him in a cell for a few days? Before releasing him all over again). And contacting the council directly had yielded almost no results because it was severely strapped for cash and wasn't willing to spend precious resources on a middle-aged male crack addict who'd lived outside of societal norms for decades (I mean, can you even fix someone like that?).
So the general conversation was left with the glum cynical feeling that the only real solution to him was if the guy upped & died one day. But that's not a nice way to feel about anyone.
The 1st time I came across someone smoking Crack on the tube, it was a much more unnerving experience for everybody involved. And when I contacted a TFL worker back then, they were much more proactive about removing the man from the station. But ATM that's pretty much all they can do (temporarily evict people from stations) and even then they often don't bother if the addict is on their way to Brixton because that's where most of them apparently live anyway :/
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u/nahnotgoingthere 1d ago
I just realised I have no idea what crack smells like.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
It smells pretty rancid, like burning plastic or burning chemicals with a nauseous sweet underlying scent. It's a really gross smell, pungent...Once you've smelt it, there's no mistaking it for anything else like tobacco or weed, which smell positively nice by comparison.
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u/revpidgeon 1d ago
Now I know what someone was smoking on the back of a bus the other day.
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u/LegitimatelisedSoil 1d ago
Those cheap shitty vapes can also sometimes smell like burning plastic aswell
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u/UnderstandingNo5667 1d ago
Smells quite “moreish”
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u/new_nimmerzz 1d ago
People smoke drugs through pen casings and straws. You’re smelling the burning of those plastics as well as the drug
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u/QuizzicalSquid7 1d ago
Not necessarily true. E.g. I used to smoke dmt through a glass pipe and that literally smells like burnt plastic. Some drugs just smell like that.
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u/pingpongtiddley 1d ago
My friends who have smoked crack also said it tastes like burnt plastic bags in your mouth for ages after
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u/aoskunk 1d ago
It really shouldn’t. But I was a crack snob who cooked my own from quality powder and only kept the freebase oil.
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u/Jacktheforkie 1d ago
And the drugs are often not of the best quality,
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u/HeydoIDKu 1d ago
Nah it’s 99.9% a glass tube no reasonable crack head is going to use plastic and not be able to get their push hit when their done.
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u/FonteB 1d ago
Yep got to smell it ok a bus in Peckham 10 years ago and then last year on the Central Line.
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u/PidginPigeonHole 1d ago
I used to go to a bar in Camden Town just behind the Sainsbury's where they would sit in the corner near the door smoking crack. Got closed after a few months.
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u/WanderlustZero 1d ago
Wow man the Dev really went downhill after the goths left :(
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u/aoskunk 1d ago
Huh as somebody who’s smoked more than their fat share of crack I find the smell delightful. But I could see it just being a positive association with its effects. Cigarettes smell terrible to me.
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u/castlerigger 1d ago
Crack is so much nicer to me as a smell that tobacco or weed smoke which are actually, smoky, full of particulates. Crack smoke is just so clean and mmmmmhhmm. Man I love me some crack.
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u/queen_of_potato 1d ago
The thing about crack is that it's so moreish
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u/thespicychipolata 1d ago
Don't say crack, Jez, yeah, please, not now.
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u/Axel_Farhunter 1d ago
Oh right so now that we’re “working” I can’t smoke crack?
Yes exactly, exactly!
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u/scubapig 1d ago
Yeah I like it too. One of those chemical smells like petrol where you can’t quite work out why it’s nice. Weird with crack, because I’m quite a “just say yes” person in general, but have only had it a few times, enjoyed it and that was it. Never got addicted or even into it for any period of time. I’m not going to sit here and recommend it to anyone though, obviously.
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u/Cute_Assumption_7335 1d ago
You might mistake it for raw DMT being smoked they smell identical, but the visual tells from this perpetrator definitely suggest he's smoking crack haha.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
The TFL people confirmed it was crack as he's extremely well known to them and has been reported and caught smoking crack on the tube endless times before. I'm somewhat familiar with what the drug looks & smells like (as well as how it's addicts generally behave) because I used to live in a part of Brixton where I had to commute through an area on a regular basis where there were a lot of homeless crack addicts. I also experienced someone (a different guy) smoking crack on the tube last year too :/
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u/ADHDeez_Nutz420 1d ago
Yeh once you smell it you will remember it forever. Fucking horrible stuff, even when I was a meth addict I still had enough sense of mind to realise how shit of a drug it is and how addictive it was.
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u/brtrzznk 1d ago
I was on a bus one time and someone was smoking crack in the back. I thought it was a bomb or something and left at the next stop. And that’s how o found out what crack smells like.
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u/TrypMole 1d ago
I didn't either till last year. Then one day me and my husband were walking home and I thought "Oh,thats what crack smells like". It's weirdly unmistakable even if you've never smelt it before.
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u/adept-34501 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm almost 100% certain that I must have smelt it but I have no way of knowing. Even in the comments of this, you've got people saying it smells like burnt plastic and others saying it smells like caramel, which seems like 2 completely different smells. I wish there was somewhere you could go, like a smell library that could inform me of these things.
Edit: Also, the arrogants and obnoxious of people like this infuriates me. I say this as a cigarette and weed smoker, do what you what, its your life, but have some fucking consideration for other people
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u/Calm-Treacle8677 1d ago
I actually like the smell it’s like a sweet chemically smell. Once you smell it you will be like ohh that’s crack
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u/odegood 1d ago
Surely if they kept throwing him off and took his crack he would at least avoid the tube to not lose his crack
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u/padface 1d ago
Addicts can become extremely aggressive and violent when you try to take their drugs away like that, it’s not fair to expect TfL staff to put themselves in danger like that
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u/odegood 1d ago
Not tfl staff I mean the police, of course tfl staff shouldn't have to do that
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u/tylerthe-theatre 1d ago edited 1d ago
No way I'm sitting in a carriage and getting 2nd hand crack smoke lol
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u/Dave-The-Chef 1d ago edited 1d ago
Happened to me on the Victoria line and the person smoking the crack became incredibly erratic.
When I told the TFL staff he looked at me and shrugged as someone forced the barriers, don't blame the TFL staff but Jesus Christ, is this what things are like now?
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u/DrFrozenToastie 1d ago
The British basically have a non-confrontation policy with crime
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u/MasterofBiscuits 1d ago
Unless it's someone saying mean things in a whatsapp group, apparently https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dj1zlvxglo
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u/Asleep-Weather1385 1d ago edited 18h ago
what happened to calling texting BTP? i’m not trying to be subjected to second hand crack
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u/Ok-Lettuce5983 1d ago
if you read the entire post it will say that BTP and staff all know him by name but there's nothing they can do long term
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u/_Permanent_Marker_ 1d ago
See it, say it, sorry there’s nothing we can do about it
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u/TheGoldenTNT 1d ago
Ban from using the service, if they continue it’s trespassing.
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u/Mindless-Draw7328 1d ago
According to some random TfL worker, who may or may not know what they’re talking about. Still better to report it to BTP than not.
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u/Ok-Lettuce5983 1d ago
i assume OP did, otherwise they wouldn't know all the info they shared
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u/llama_del_reyy leytonstone 1d ago
BTP wouldn't have shared the full background with OP. This came from the station staff.
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u/throwaway20102039 1d ago
The bioavailability of inhaled crack is so high that you won't really absorb any of it from 2nd hand vapours.
There's not really any carcinogens in it because it's not smoke. It's just vapour. Unlike 2nd hand cigarette smoke which is actually harmful.
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u/galeforce_whinge 1d ago
This is the same guy who makes carriages smell like literal human shit. Im not joking, he's on the Victoria Line a lot, possibly all day, just riding around. I dont think he gets off for bathroom breaks...
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u/cheechobobo 1d ago
Oh damn. Yes I joined a stenchy Vicky line carriage last Wednesday. There were a few people dotted around but i didn't look about to guess the source - no point & the stink was so bad I just stuck my head out the back end of the carriage straight away but could still smell it! I bailed to switch carriage at the next stop & stink alerted the people getting on - they were all wearing headphones, so they piled in anyway except one who I guess had his sound off.
Sidenote: a few months ago I saw comments on this sub about people having picked up bed bugs on the tube. Not sure how true that is but with the combined issues of barrier jumping, down & out crackheads & just general homeless trying to keep warm, I'm no longer risking taking a seat on the tube.
There should be places in each borough where the homeless can at least shower, launder their clothes & bedding for free, this from both a general public health perspective & because when someone can't keep clean they lose all dignity, hope & opportunity putting them on a guaranteed downward spiral.
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u/pezapalooza 21h ago
As you mention it: Barking opens first permanent showers for homeless https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7284215k4o
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u/Creative_Recover 22h ago
Bed bugs on the tube?? Do you know the link to that thread? I thought the bed bug tube panic died off a while back.
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u/Equanimous-Fox 1d ago
No pun intended but we should really crack down on this stuff.
If you've ever taken the LA metro, you realise that allowing the sale/use of drugs on public transport is a very, very scary slippery slope.
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u/BlondBitch91 Lambeth North 13h ago
My first thought at the sight of this was it was a picture of the MTA or the BART. I didn’t expect this in London… we used to be better than this.
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u/perhapsflorence 1d ago
That is foul! Text BTP on 61016.
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u/Snoo77457 1d ago
Well to be fair it is rather moreish
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u/GNARSHEN 1d ago
Oh I'm Mark, I'm in the eighties, I'm dying of heroin in a puddle in the corner in an advert. Drugs are fine, Mark, everyone agrees now. Drugs are what happen to people and that's fine, so shut up.
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u/MolassesZestyclose96 1d ago
Don’t say crack yeah? Please. Not now, you saying crack makes me think about crack and I love crack. So can you not say crack?
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u/KeyBeginning562 1d ago
So what now we’re working it’s not okay to smoke a bit of crack? Next you’re gonna boot me out for not wearing a suit and tie?
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u/Worried-Round-4749 1d ago
I was on an n87 and had the experience of this happening a few rows behind me mere weeks ago, seems to be more commonplace than we once thought im guessing with the lack of rules and regulations being properly enforced and how shit the policing is these days
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u/Westsidepipeway 1d ago
Experienced about four times on tfl (grew up in London and late 30s), it smells so bad.
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u/AccomplishedRange671 1d ago
I’ve seen it about 8 times last year on the Victoria line. I used to have a guy on my estate called smiley, and he used to do it outside my block. He was actually a pleasant guy, always told me whatever you do don’t hit the crack.
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u/Kcole7 1d ago
I’ve grown up in London my whole life never experienced this… feel like I’m missing out 😂. Is this common now?
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u/kholekardashian12 1d ago
Same! Seen a lot of stuff on the tube including an old pervert's penis but not crack smoking. And I grew up in Croydon/South Norwood area.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
I'm developing the impression based on my personal experiences that it's more common to see stuff like drug abuse on some lines rather than others because the areas that they lead to (and the associated drug problems with those areas), i.e. Camden, Brixton, Peckham & Croydon, Etc. So depending on where you live and what routes you regularly commute through, you might see this kind of thing a lot, or not at all.
(But trust me, you're not missing out on anything at all, especially if you don't like feeling like you're living in some crappy London version of GTA).
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u/Westsidepipeway 1d ago
First time i saw it was about 20 years ago on the 38 bus. I don't think it's overly common.
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u/doctorocelot 1d ago
It's very unusual. Which is why you are seeing a post about it on reddit. If it was normal OP wouldn't have bothered posting.
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u/crumble-bee 1d ago
Agreed, they could at least try and get a nice smelling crack vape or something
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u/bugtheft 1d ago
Why can’t he be arrested?
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u/RealNameJohn_ 1d ago
Sure he can be, for about 48 hours maximum before having to let him go because mere possession doesn’t carry a custodial sentence anymore. And even if we changed that, he’d still be addicted so he’ll just smoke it elsewhere. And you can’t fine him either because he has no money or possessions.
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u/Moistfruitcake 1d ago
We could fine him if we accepted crack as currency.
Vote for me as the Mayor of London and I'll get rid of this fiat currency bullshit and back Sterling with a national strategic crack reserve.
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u/g0_west 1d ago
Aren't there psych or rehab type places he could be sectioned in? Clearly he's not well and is presenting a danger to others
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
Because the police lack the will & resources. They will only arrest if they are pushed into doing so, and that will only happen if BTP pushes. But the guy apparently gets reported almost everyday and nobody & nowhere has the time & resources to deal with him and his problems more fundamentally.
Honestly, when you have so many people like young families in need waiting for homes or disabled people fighting for basic access & resources, an old male homeless crack addict is going to rank particularly low on any over-stretched councils list of priorities.
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u/SeaSourceScorch 1d ago
this is the heart of the problem. i don’t really want the police throwing away the key on a guy like this, but after a few days to get sober they should be able to pass him onto other services who can help him clean up, get housing etc. and there are just no resources for that.
a lot of people are going to say “police are useless”, and they are, but that’s because every service outside of the police has had its knees broken so there’s no opportunity to break the cycle.
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u/Father_Chewy_Louis 1d ago
Because the met only care if it's disturbing the peace of bilionaires, not us plebs
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u/LesleyKnopehope 1d ago
I feel so conflicted - I mean, being addicted to drugs without any societal support or intervention is tragic. That’s before thinking about what might lead someone to this way of life.
On the otherhand, I use the tube, as does my dad and my tween. I dont want to live in a world where this is okay. It isnt and shouldnt be.
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u/JJRamone 1d ago
Yeah I have a lot of sympathy for addicts and I think they’re often unfairly maligned, but smoking crack on the tube is obviously a step too far. I don’t wanna be inhaling second-hand crack smoke while I’m stuck in a small, unventilated metal cylinder.
It’s one thing smoking crack outside, away from people, but this dude should be arrested.
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u/SkullDump The right side of the river 1d ago
I’m not conflicted. Being an addict in no way means that you suddenly ignore all social convention and need to do it as publicly and blatantly as this on the tube.
This guy is just a prick who thinks the laws don’t apply to him or just he doesn’t give a shit. Either way he should have been reported.
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u/bix_box 1d ago
What do you mean exactly without societal support or intervention? There are many resources to help people struggling with addiction. We can't really force people into treatment though and I'm not sure if we should. I think forced treatment usually has very high relapse rates as well. They have to want to fight it.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago edited 1d ago
Most of the resources available are severely underfunded in comparison to the demands for them and they have long waiting lists. Fixing drug addiction in homeless people requires the help from an awful lot of people, time and resources (because you're rarely just dealing with addiction & homelessness but also serious mental illness, childhood trauma, low skills, education and poor physical health too), and that's assuming the person in question is even ready or willing to be helped.
Funding to drug rehabilitation services was cut by 40% between 2010-2021 by the Tories, and now Labour have inherited a country with empty coffers these services are only going to be cut even further. If there wasn't help for this guy 10 years ago, there certainly isn't going to be now.
I've also sensed the longer term knock-on effects these cuts are causing, i.e. before 2015 it was very rare to see homeless women, teenagers or the very elderly on the streets but in the last year alone I have seen many. And if they can't even keep the most vulnerable people housed, then the future is even more grim for the older males like this addict.
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u/terminal__object 1d ago
this doesn’t mean anyone has to tolerate this.
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u/No-Tip-4337 1d ago
What makes you think the drug-dependent want to tolerate it...
Everyone, outside of the political class, wants this problem solved.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
I agree, serious drug abuse should not be tolerated on the tube. I also hate to think of all the mothers with kids & babies who've been exposed to this guy smoking crack on the tube over the years. Like, we shouldn't be normalizing this at all.
I was disheartened by TFL's ambivalence over the whole matter. Perhaps if the guy got kicked off and his crack confiscated every time he boarded the tube, he would stop using it as a warm cosy place to hit up drugs in.
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u/rumade Millbank :illuminati: 1d ago
For real. I use the Victoria line with my baby all the time, and now I'm worried that we're going to encounter him.
We've already had to deal with some guy smoking weed in the carriage. It's not right to do it somewhere that people can't get fresh air and can't escape.
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u/SJambles 1d ago
Jeez, that’s rough. Can testify as someone that gets the Victoria line from Brixton was also on a tube with a homeless guy trying to smoke a joint the other day. The worst part is that he was trying to light it on top of a stack of newspapers he had on his lap. Could have been a disaster! Seems like this is just becoming more normalised sadly
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u/Other_Cap2954 1d ago
I was shocked when I saw a guy doing a bump of coke on the train but crack that’s wild
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u/Angel-socks 1d ago
I’ve experienced this same guy once on the northern line a couple of years ago. Yeah wasn’t a pleasant experience.
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u/OnceUponATime_UK 1d ago
Depressing. And reflective of the bad state of things right now that no-one will do anything about it.
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u/Character_Mention327 1d ago
Anyone burning anything on the underground is creating a serious safety hazard.
I guess most people are not old enough to remember the King's Cross fire, but the danger is very real.
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u/wizzardyls 1d ago
I’ve seen the same guy, lighting up in the tube to Brixton. There was kids in the carriage
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u/sidimmu89 1d ago
He needs slapping about then, zero respect and care for others let alone children. If he can do that in front of a kid, what else are they capable of doing in front of children?
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u/wizzardyls 1d ago
Completely agree man. I’m sure that will happen though if this is a recurring thing
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u/sidimmu89 1d ago
Evidently not with the amount of comments in here saying they have experienced the same thing with the same guy, with a complete lack of care and help from BTP.
Community needs to step in for this shit, police cannot be bothered to handle stuff like this.
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u/griffinstorme 1d ago
This country is so broken. We have a man who needs help, multiple people reporting it to multiple agencies, and nobody can/will do anything. We're cooked.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
I agree. I think we're going to enter a new error of very visible poverty where many problems that were almost eradicated by the beginning of the 21st century start to make a big comeback.
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u/breathanddrishti 1d ago
OP i just want to say you seem to have handled this pretty compassionately and I thank you for that
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u/Yung-Almond 1d ago
I would text BTP next time, I’d imagine they’re more likely to do something about it. But yeah, not a nice thing to come across.
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u/couchsweetpotatoes 1d ago
Surely a high person with a lighter is a safety hazard - TfL should be interested. In the very least he should be stopped doing this in a public place. What if he passed out and set the carriage on fire.
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u/nice-vans-bro 1d ago
I used to work in wh smiths in Brixton. One Sunday three blokes came in, walked to the back of the shop where the kids books section was, and proceeded to smoke crack for the next 20 minutes before wandering off.
It was me and the 19 year old weekend kid so we decided to do absolutely fucking nothing and stay locked behind the till. Since that day about 6 years ago the amount of fully knocked out crack addicts I've seen spread out on the floor throughout the country has skyrocketed.
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u/ExplodingDogs82 1d ago
If I were in that carriage with my daughter and he or anyone else dare smoke anything they’ll end up with a visit from the quiet stick.
In many ways I feel for people in such dire situations but no excuse for inflicting it upon others.
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u/rnsncwomn 1d ago
Can't do anything... isn't it illegal even to smoke on the tube? Did you consider report to the transport police? I would freak out by someone lighting a fire in a carriage.
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u/Creative_Recover 1d ago
There weren't any BTP people in the office at the time and the TFL workers on duty were completely ambivalent about the entire situation. The most they could do was recommend that I write an email to BTP about the matter, but even then the guy was quite frank that that probably wouldn't yield much in the way of actual results.
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u/Severe-Positive-5729 1d ago
wow, this sounds so British. Write an email complaining about a crack head.
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u/desi_londoner 1d ago
Must've apologised profusely to the crackhead as well, for sneezing loudly due to the crack smell
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u/rnsncwomn 1d ago
I really hope that you will send that email or even a text message to BTP because this sounds scary and a bit inappropriate to suggest it's not even worth trying... :( well done for keeping calm.
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u/wlondonmatt 1d ago
This guy was on the piccadilly at finsbury park he managed to set off some fire alarm and I had to get the thameslink back to Kings cross.
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u/elpintos 1d ago
I’ve seen that guy quite a few times! His arse crack is always hanging out, didn’t see any other crack! Was that on the Northern/Victoria line?
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u/CptFlwrs 1d ago
There’s a woman with a dog that rides the Piccadilly line smoking crack pretty regularly. The dog is so sweet. She usually leaves a pile of mess behind when she’s done.
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u/Specific_entry_01 1d ago
The dog is so sweet. She usually leaves a pile of mess behind when she’s done.
took a while to realise you didn't mean the dog does a shit on the tube
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u/CptFlwrs 20h ago
Ha! The dog is cleaner and more together than her. He sits on his little blanket and seems to know what stop they need to get off at.
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u/kilpin1899 1d ago
People in this thread trying to rationalise smoking crack on public transport is absolutely wild.
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u/Akash_nu 1d ago
In my first glance I thought they were wearing the Apple Vision Pro.
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u/erics75218 22h ago
The thumbnail version made me think on you were posting about a lot of people wearing Vision Pro
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u/Own-Holiday-4071 14h ago
Born and raised Londoner and have never seen this in my life.
NYC subway on the other hand …
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u/HettySwollocks 1d ago
Urgh, it’s so selfish. I was travelling to an interview when some muppet decided to fire up a joint in front of me, real pungent number. Imagine rocking up stinking of cannabis, excellent. That fool very may have lost me a job! I’m still irritated and that was almost a decade in the past.
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u/Outrageous_Ad_4949 1d ago
because what exactly could they do beyond putting him in a cell for a few days?
Take his stash + 2 days locked up to get sober. Repeat. Repeat. He's going to learn to stay away from mass transport eventually. It's not like he's got places to go.. he's just a junkie at the bottom of the pit, enjoying a bit of attention from the rest of us. He needs help. Doesn't mean he should be allowed to do this.
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u/Evolvedtyrant 1d ago
I've seen a guy smoking before and lost count of Vapes but never Crack Cocaine. How bold do you have to be
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u/clear2see 1d ago
Before the suburban lines in north London were taken over by TFL to become overground they were often understaffed, unreliable and generally sketchy. Was on the Gospel Oak to Barking line which was particularly haphazard and four people started chasing heroin with rolls of foil. Not exactly discreet and clouds of smack smoke quickly permeated the carriage. In those days heroin was generally heroin with some inert cut so it actually smelled quite nice.
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u/BritishBatman - Clapham 1d ago
I’ve seen this guy on the northern line before. Smoking crack. Had loads of bags, and when we stopped at Stockwell, he put his bags in the door so he could slowly get all his stuff off. Some guy, who got on after the smoking, got up to say something, and I stopped him, told him “I wouldn’t mate, he’s just been smoking crack right there”. He luckily just sat back down, and we were on the move soon after. Big bloke as well.
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u/tothefuture123 1d ago
The Brixton area has a major, major crack issue, so it's unsurprising it would filter through on the Victoria line and surrounding bus routes.
I think one of the things that surprised me most, being in South London recovery groups (for alcohol misuse), was that almost every other person was there for crack! I was very much so under the impression it was a drug of a bygone era. Nope!
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u/pelicannpie 1d ago edited 1d ago
Happened to me the other week (White chapel/ Highbury & isl). I was kinda daydreaming and didn’t take into account I was on a train and it wasn’t a normal smell. Then I snapped back to reality thought wtf is that smell of burning, looked across and saw the same thing (very well could of been him tbh)
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u/Necessary_Wing799 1d ago edited 1d ago
Needs to be cracked down on. No jokes about flying the crazy train. Second hand smoke of burnt chore ain't pleasant. I understand the bro is on a binge and needs to keep smoking his stash but if no ever does anything about these dudes we soon going to have a total free for all on the trains like other cities. Basically public transport a no go zone if you want to stay safe, in tact, Alive even. Cape Town is a bad example of dudes openly drinking smoking shooting everything known to mankind. Mandrax out of bottlenecks mixed with spliff..... hopefully there is a way to keep drink drugs and dealing off of the trains.
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u/Early_Retirement_007 1d ago edited 21h ago
You get some weirdos on the tube and it doesnt surprise you have seen this. They get on tube without paying, station staff are asleep or cant be bothered - the station gates should be the first point of defence for keeping these people out. Imagine if you are travelling with kids and you have to witness this shit. Crazy - these crackheads are a danger and could do anything when high. I hope you reported it, transport police should be able to trace him and arrest this idiot. No sympathy for people using hard drugs. Everyone has issues, going down the easy route and smoking shit, to get away from reality for a few min - sad. Not to mention all the crime that has been committed to get the stuff in the first place both by supplier and user. Whats the solution though? Legalise it?
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u/defunkt1721 1d ago
Just a nice little relaxing smoke of crack. https://youtu.be/tAlPwnkQURg?si=jnQIcXO9vACQ-Cyr
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u/bagsofsmoke 1d ago
He clearly hasn’t bought a ticket, so it just needs TFL staff (once again, WTAF is the point of them?) to prevent him jumping the barriers.
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u/ginogekko 1d ago
They don’t stop anyone jumping the barriers, if you haven’t noticed. What is the point of them? Your guess is as good as anyone’s.
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u/lipscratch 1d ago
I recognise this guy. He was on the vic with me about two months ago. He started taking all of his clothes off and chucking them across the seats. It was really sad
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u/sillylox 1d ago
I saw this exact same guy doing the same thing about 12 months ago on the Victoria line. So conflicting but at the end of the day this behaviour shouldn’t be accepted
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u/Jche98 1d ago
Arresting him won't work. He needs to be taken into some kind of care programme to wean him off his addiction, give him basic skills and help him reintegrate into society.
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u/howisleepatnight 1d ago
This happened to me on the northern line! Then the guy asked me for 50 quid
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u/blockofquartz 1d ago
I had this a few weeks back in the later afternoon / early evening on the Victoria line. Took me way too long to realise what the guy was doing and then eventually he got off but was quite surprised to see it as I'd never seen it before, on the tube or otherwise.
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u/LowPalpitation3414 1d ago
That’s one extreme way to get the carriage to yourself!!
Sorry you had this experience OP.
Glad I haven’t as I surely wouldn’t know what to do or where to put self smh
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u/razlatkin2 10h ago
Yoo I recognise him. Saw him on the night tube half a year ago, he got off in a few stops but I was really unsure what to do - don’t usually know how aggressive these guys are. Good on you for speaking up about it, even if they didn’t do anything
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u/JTizzlaa 1d ago
Well said... I'm a resettlement officer in a 41 bed homeless hostel for an organisation just outside of north London. Crack is the ultimate DEVIL! He was most likely numb to anything other than his high, which lasts a few minutes by the way, I've witnessed sooo many unfortunate people on crack and the inevitable consequences of it, not only at an individual level but manipulation, preying on vulnerable people for money, theft, burgularys... All to get more crack. The services are both under resourced, not enough skilled workers, no accessibility for services and if they do they have to wait months and months and even years for just an initial assessment, mental health in this country doesn't even accept a referral of they're are taking drugs even when both go hand in hand. Services like mine and mental health have been bursting at the seams for 8 years or so now, and now it's exploding. Thanks for your post, it's good to talk about these major issues thar are going on in Tubes, buses, on our Streets, I literally saw someone off his nut on Spice walking down the road where I live like a zombie!
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