He needed to earn some money, so decided to take a part time job as a station assistant on the London Underground - mainly to earn some money and to learn a new set of disciplines. The book is a collection of his thoughts and musings whilst working there.
Basically he is a "visitor" to the London Underground, as well as someone who worked there. He saw himself as a "tourist" and throughout the book we can see how something that everyone takes for granted has a life of its own, a life very different to that which we lead above the ground.
If you are new to the London Underground, this is a great book to read as it will make you wonder why people behave the way they do on the Underground. Why they always rush everywhere? Why do they want people to show them the nearest exit even if they are standing underneath a "way out" sign? Why do they ask tube assistants inane questions about delayed trains whilse they are standing watching paramedics bring a victim of a heart attack back to life? Why does no one smile?
The book isn't all ponderings and there are a liberal amount of anecdotes about funny things that happened while Ross was working underground: what looks like an ugly baby turns out to be a monkey; what looks a dog on a lead is actually a domesticated fox. We learn about Ross's colleagues - one of whom is happy if he can spend his whole day asleep in a cupboard. We learn why white grapes are more deadly than banana skins when it comes to trip hazards and we gawp as a man walks out of a tunnel as the driver on a delayed train tells him that it would be quicker to walk to the next station.
Ross's training is described with great affection, but once in the real world of the Underground, he learns that all the body language in the world is of no use when you are trying to calm down a frustrated blind woman.
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