7 Tube rules every London commuter should know

Nobody likes taking the Tube in summer during rush hour - but it’s particularly hellish when there are delays.

Yesterday, commuters were stuck underground for over an hour during Monday's morning rush hour after a major power failure crippled three Tube lines.

Tube trains on the Circle, District and Piccadilly lines ground to a halt in tunnels between stations following the signal system shutdown at Earl’s Court station.

While twiddling your thumbs in the tunnel is never an enjoyable experience, there are a few rules of commuting that can stop our journeys going from sea level frustration to absolute rock bottom despair.

Here are the unwritten Tube laws that every commuter should know

1. Food for thought

Keep the odour factor in mind when taking food on the tube. Obviously fish products, cheesy crisps and McDonald’s top the list here - but even if your food has the slightest whiff, do everyone a favour and eat it before going Underground.

2. Be Oyster Card ready

You’ve spent ten minutes idly dawdling in a queue to get to the front of the gates, only to make it to the barriers and realise you don’t know where your wallet is. You fumble through your pockets and bag, scrambling for the whereabouts of your Oyster card, all the while the rest of London is stood behind you waiting. For the sake of everyone else's sanity, get your wallet out before you get in the queue.

3. Don’t talk loudly

While everyone else is respecting the sombre ‘oh my god, it’s Monday’ silence, you’re on your mobile phone squawking about what happened on Eastenders. Keep all correspondence strictly to WhatsApp during the rush hour crush.

4. Always take a tissue

Yes, it’s hayfever season so all the more reason for buying those tissues in bulk. Sneezing onto your hand and touching the communal pole is one thing, but sneezing into people’s faces is a surefire way to ruin someone’s trust in other human beings.

5. Don’t take up space

If you’re wearing a backpack, remember that you are wearing a backpack. Take it off and sensibly place it on the floor or you'll inadvertently clout people in the face when you try to turn without warning. Commuters also reserve a special fury for people who attempt to get three suitcases onto a train during rush hour

6. Keep the poles communal

When Londoners rally together, everyone gets equal space on the Tube poles to hold on. There may be an awkward brushing of hands, but at least we’re able to stay upright on our journey. On a bad day, one selfish person will use the pole as a resting post, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. Never be that person.

7. Don't take people watching to a new extreme

We’ve all been there. You’re minding your own business when you notice the person opposite you is staring at you, without shame, for no good reason. Even a pointed 'well then, I'll stare back too' doesn't get the point across. If you're one of these early morning starers, we implore - save people watching for Starbucks.