Eavesdropping - the best story I ever heard

There is a lovely little article in the Daily Telegraph today (which is currently free on the iPad!!) called "To overhear is to understand". It reveals the fact that Prince Charles loves a good eavesdrop (with those ears how can he help it). In fact he loves to eavesdrop on visitors at his royal residences, even getting down on the floor to listen. Brilliant. The article is about the social benefits of eavesdropping - how it teaches us that not everyone thinks like us and how it informs the work of writers. So now I think is the perfect time to tell you the best story that I ever overheard.

It was while I was standing on a packed bus in Swansea, Wales. Next to me were two middle aged women. I will paraphrase because I overheard this about 4 years ago.

Well, said one, my daughter was on the tube in London and these three guys got on. The middle one was being held tightly between the other two as if he was drunk. My daughter said she hadn't paid much attention to them but she soon noticed that a lot of people were leaving the carriage. Looking down the tube she could see that the other carriages were still full but hers was emptying. Then this guy who was sitting quite close moved over to her and told her to get off at the next stop. Bemused she did. As soon as the tube had left them on the platform she asked him what the hell was going on. The man in the middle of those two guys who looked drunk, he replied, was actually dead.