Overseen: Two bankers talking on the tube

‘Overseen’ is our strand where Deafies tell us about conversations they have ‘overseen’ (see what we did there?) in public, through lipreading and picking up on body language. Our second contributor tells us about a conversation she saw on the tube…

It was a crowded District Line tube train, and I was travelling from east to west in London.

As we went through stations, the train got busier and busier until it was so squashed I couldn’t read my newspaper!

Two men who were well dressed got on. They were both wearing suits, and what looked like expensive shoes and watches. As they pushed through the squash they found a space to stand in the middle of two rows of seats. They were in their late 20s or early 30s, and seemed confident, in their own world.

They faced each other and were talking to each other – I don’t think they spoke very quietly, because people turned to look at them. They didn’t seem to care how many people could hear. I started to lipread them…

“Cos they set it up, and they felt they owed it to Barclays.” One said.

“****’s sake.” The other replied.

“So now they’ve done that, and they’ve come back to us.”

“About time.”

“So we’re in for £5million.”

“Good.”

“Starters. Then there’s another round in April.”

I didn’t catch what the other one said then.

By the next stop, Embankment, they’d gone. Off to an expensive bar, I’d imagine. Champagne?

Whatever it was, for the moment that I was watching them, I felt like I was entering another world quite far from the one I live in!

Do you have a story to share about something you have overseen? If so, just email thelimpingchicken@gmail.com