Left: my friend Bonita, Right: a photo of the man who allegedly caused this morning’s disturbances taken from Twitter
Earlier this morning, everyone’s worst prangover fears came true for my friend Bonita, who was travelling to work on the tube in London and got caught up in what she thought, at the time, was a terrorist attack. She was on a Bakerloo Line train when a guy began walking up and down the carriages, praying loudly from a Quran.
Videos by VICE
It seems that someone pulled the alarm when the train arrived at Charing Cross underground station at about 9.20AM, and passengers fled the train in a panic. Some passengers on Twitter reported being evacuated from the train station and that they had heard the man threaten to set off an explosive device.
The police made an arrest, but it seems he was just a guy behaving strangely on the tube rather than a guy behaving strangely on the tube with a bomb.
Important distinction.
Nevertheless, I decided to speak to Bonita about her shitty trip to work.
VICE: Hey Bonita, are you OK?
Bonita: Not really, I’ve never been so fucking scared in my entire life. Everyone ran and was screaming. I just had to walk from Charing Cross to work, hyperventilating with makeup running down my face and have just spent the last 20 minutes throwing up.
So what happened?
I don’t know, there was a guy praying loudly at first, I wasn’t really paying attention, I thought he was just praying. He was just stood in the middle of the carriage and then he started to walk around.
Were you scared?
I honestly thought nothing of it at first as I was listening to my iPod. But then he started pacing around the carriages and another guy was following him round the train, and as the guy praying moved down the train he was watching him and he seemed really nervous – the guy watching him seemed more suspect than the guy praying.
So you didn’t hear him say anything about a bomb?
No, the engine started making a weird sound and jolting and then suddenly everyone stood up and ran, two women were screaming saying it’s not safe and to get off. Everyone was pushing and crushing to get up the stairs and the staff had no idea what was going on.
Sound pretty horrible.
I stumbled through Leicester Square falling over my own feet and then got to work and was just crying. My friend at work asked me if I was OK and I just broke down, then had to go and be sick.
You must be pretty relieved. Thanks Bonita, I hope your day gets better.
Follow Oz on Twitter: @OzKaterji
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