KEN LIVINGSTONE PLANS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO STOP THEM EATING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Transport for London is spending £1m on its latest campaign using films and posters to warn people away from anti-social behaviour.

The London mayor, Ken Livingstone, has unveiled an advertising campaign urging the capital's inhabitants to be better behaved on public transport that includes a mini-film created by Leaving Las Vegas director Mike Figgis.

The 'Together for London' campaign targets people who listen to loud music, talk on mobile phones or eat food while on London's trains and tubes. It features a three-minute film that will be shown in around 800 cinemas across the capital from Friday.

I have always found the eating of smelly food on trains and buses to be offensive.

But why just try to 'persuade' people not to do it? Bye-laws should be brought in to BAN it.

That is the position in Athens, where you are not allowed to consume food or drink in the subway system - and that means not even bottled water, a banana, or a chocolate bar - How would some Londoners cope with that?

There is also no advertising on the Greek Metro - either on the stations or trains. Can you imagine TFL giving up such a lucrative source of income?

And, by the way, the flat fare in Athens for any distance on the metro or buses is €1 (74p). Tell that to Mr Livingstone. The system must be very heavily subsidised though.

One bad thing - mobile phones work on the platforms and in the trains. There appears to be no prohibition on them.

To find out more about the Athens Metro, go to:

http://www.athensguide.com/newmetro.html

Finally, this is from the New York Times:

Officials eager to keep Miami's three-year-old commuter system spick-and-span have arrested a mother who allowed her children to eat canned sausages on a train after they missed dinner. The woman, 26-year-old Tobia Jinks, is to be arraigned next week on second-degree misdemeanor charges of eating on a train. ''The key is you don't let that start,'' said Sgt. John Carrel, head of Metrorail's police force. ''Otherwise it is New York - the toilet.''