I'm not one of them!

This is more of a tale than a blog, and goes back a few months.

I got on the Exeter bound train, with a view to changing at Reading during the commuter rush. As I sat down at saw a rather unkempt gentleman sat opposite (we were both sat on the fold down chairs where a wheelchair may be positioned.)he was drinking a tin of Carlsberg (other lagers are available)and telling anyone who would listen about going to Glastonbury festival, a fight in Bristol, and various other delightful tales. he was pretty incessant in his tale telling, and quite loud. He turned to the well dressed businessman in the seat beside him and said, "you may as well give me the reserved ticket off the back of me chair as I won't sit beside you...as I know I am a bit smelly." thanks to a blocked nose I hadn't noticed, but the look on the business mans face was one of relief.

The lady beside me was on the phone and trying to discreetly tell the person to about our interesting fellow traveller..she whispered "you won't believe this but there's a homeless person on the train" and when she wasn't heard repeated herself a bit louder. At this point our interesting fellow traveller retorted with more than a hint of pride and passion, "Excuse me, I'm not one of those...I'm a tramp!"

Now until that day I never knew there was a difference, but you live and learn.I wonder precisely what the difference is?

Anyway the tramp (as I can now call him) then told the carriage that no one would sit beside him as he smelt a bit, having not had a good wash for a few days. At this point a guy in a long black coat, carrying a hefty looking book entered the carriage, and sat nonchalantly in the final remaining seat...the one beside the tramp. He then immersed himself in his book. "I'm surprised you sat there" said the tramp."Pardon?" said the man in the black coat."I said I'm surprised you sat there, I stink," said the now smiling tramp, almost as of this was some Olympian achievement."It's not that bad," said the man in the black coat."Really?" asked the now incredulous tramp."Yep, I've smelt worse," added the man in the black coat. "Really?" asked the increasingly incredulous tramp."Yes said the man's, I have two children under 3 and their nappies and potties are far worse than how you smell." "Fair enough said the tramp, I'll shut up then." And he did all the way to Reading, where I and the man in the long black coat got off the train. As I left I heard the tramp say "Well no one else will sit there will they." I wonder if anyone did....