Of course it’s fine to snog in Tube carriages – the earlier in the morning the better

Some killjoys want to ban kissing on the London Underground, but in my book there’s nowhere more romantic for a PDA, says Olivia Petter

Some of the best snogs I’ve had have been on the London Underground. And yes, sometimes they’ve been in the morning, when you’re squashed up beside other commuters who are all trying very hard to ignore one another.

Apparently, this is horrifying to quite a lot of people. In the last month, social media has been lighting up with so much opprobrium for early morning Tube kissing that some Londoners are now calling for a ban. Yes, really.

“There’s a time and a place and it’s not 8am on the Piccadilly line,” tweeted one person.

Early morning kisses on London Underground are outraging social media users, with some calling for a ban (AP)

“Seriously, what is with the PDA on the tube at the moment – it’s just not needed,” chimed another.

On an Instagram post about calls for a ban by @secret.london, more people agreed, with one person calling Tube snogs “absolutely vile” and another begging for commuters to “have some decorum”.

One person tweeted that they simply couldn’t imagine feeling the urge to kiss someone anywhere near the Tube, writing: “Just on my way home and saw a couple snogging on the tube escalator, and I’m not sure I’ve ever fancied someone enough to stand backwards on the downward-moving escalator at Holborn.”

Others simply expressed horror, with one person tweeting: “Nah… who’s snogging before 10 on the tube??”

I couldn’t disagree with any of this more strongly. To me, there is nothing more romantic than the delicious chaos of a morning Tube snog.

Maybe it happens when you’re both a little hungover from the night before, and the taste of whisky is still lingering on your breath.

Perhaps it’s the morning after your first truly great date with someone, and, given how close you have to stand to them on a busy train, you can’t help but lean in and pucker up.

Or, in a true romcom, Richard Curtis-filtered universe, you might’ve just seen someone you fancied, discovered they fancied you too, and before you know it, you’re kissing on the Bakerloo line before you’ve even exchanged first names (this happened to a friend).

My friends agree. “I will not stand for this country becoming sexless,” texted one when I asked for his thoughts on a potential Tube snog ban. “I will be calling on a girl ASAP to schedule in a 9am makeout sesh on the Vicky line.”

He continued, passionately: “Coffee breath and business casual compulsory – looking like the corporate edition of Klimt’s Kiss.”

Others feel similarly, citing some of the most romantic snogs of their lives as having happened on the Tube.

Personally, I love nothing more than revelling in the unpredictable messiness of it all, whether it’s a commuter kiss or an escalator snog (particularly good if the person you’re dating is taller than you; I’ve been known to stand on the step above them and turn around to steal a quick kiss when we’re at equal height). And I feel exactly the same whenever I see a couple snogging on the Tube, too, by the way. Good for them! Passion is back! Bring it on!

We live in a world with so much rampant negativity around dating and romance that I can’t help but feel this is something we should really try to cling to for hope rather than chastising, let alone call to ban.

Why should we condemn PDAs of any kind?

If a couple feels inclined to snog in front of other people – particularly in an environment as notoriously crowded and sweaty as the London Underground – surely that’s a sign of true love. A signal to the world that two people are so into each other that no amount of public criticism, nearby body odour or claustrophobia can put an end to their desire to kiss.

I think it’s lovely – a sign that some people really do find love in a hopeless place. I support it wholeheartedly – and you should too.