The Open Guide to London: the free London guide

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Do you ever use one-day Travelcards? If so, what do you do with them when you're finished with them? I'll hazard a guess at a couple of possibilities:

• You leave it in your pocket, whereupon you find it the next day and throw it away.
• You throw it in the first bin you see after getting off the train or bus.

I used to do both of these on a regular basis. But a very good friend of mine suggested something better: why not give it away? Find someone who's about to buy a ticket from one of the ticket machines, tap them on the shoulder, and say: "Excuse me, I don't need my Travelcard any more. You can have it for free."

It's important to stress free, because otherwise your chosen recipient might think you're a tout. In fact, they almost always do, until you say that magic free word. Then watch the smile appear on their face. I tend to pick people who look like they need it, perhaps because they're having a bad day.

Try it. I promise, you'll like it. -- Earle