I was on the tube today (in London) sat waiting for my stop and a girl got on and sat opposite me. Long brown hair, gorgeous brown eyes.

I smiled at her as she sat down and she smiled back. Our eyes met again after a couple of stops and we both smiled and looked away.

We then had a long conversation, got to know each other, grew close friends, etc... In my head.

In reality I didn't say anything. The train got to her stop and she said bye as she alighted.

Why? Why didn't I say anything?! Why did I just sit there like a mute idiot doing and saying nothing like a shy little boy?!

Next time I feel that way I am just going to act on it. No regrets. Grrr!

where I live if you were to smile at the zombies here, male or female you just get filthy looks, especially if you are on a bus, you are very lucky the mentality and culture is so differant down south

A prime example is where I actually tried to be polite to one of these "zombies" I said hello and he looked at me stunned and disgusted as though "wtf are you speaking to me for, I dont know you"

sickening.

I used to be able to just randomly speak to people, choose who looks "approachable" etc but that was far away from where I lived so....

It's not different at all. What happened in the OP was incredibly rare.
Looking someone in the eye is normally seen as confrontational if you don't know them, or aren't otherwise interacting with them.

You need the Missed Connections section on Craigslist.

When I lived and worked in London, I was on my way to work with my head buried in the sun listening to my mini disc player sitting opposite a very attractive, but slightly slutty looking girl. She kept catching my eye and giggling at me, then kicking my foot. She looked slightly familiar too. I thought she must have been a nutter and just buried my head in the paper. Couldn't help thinking about how familiar she looked. It wasn't until I was in the lift up to my office that the penny dropped and I turned to page three and there she was - jakki 23 from Staffordshire.

In my head, I said, "nice tits love" and we had cracking sex and went out for a while.

Yeah, but you'll get over her in time.
I did.

Well, fingers crossed that she reads that site (or knows someone who does).

well if she does that would be some story. good luck mister.

It's great that you've had that "kick yourself" moment, because now you can base future plans on that experience.

I once (and unfortunately only once) had a genuine "she fancies me" moment in work. to cut a long story short, it got to the stage when she asked for my 'phone number and my head was reeling. I thought "How do I get out of this?" so I told her "999".

She thought about this for a moment, and responded with a "Oh very funny!" and a look of disappointment that told me she really was interested. I nearly kicked myself, but she didn't push it an inch further.

As it was a nursing home, I was convinced that I would see her again sometime soon. I never did and that was about eight years ago.

Yes, most of you will know that I am married, but that's a novel in itself, so there have been countless times when I wished that I'd given her my mobile number and I won't make that "mistake" again.

There was another occasion where an attractive woman in her mid-fifties was really flirting- so much so that her friend, the patient, told her to stop doing it (jokingly). We got to the hospital and my colleague and I helped the female patient to the bed. Her friend said "Can I get two men to put me to bed?" and asked if we do house calls.

I responded with a "Normally, you have to book through the GP." and it all ended there.

Next time, I'm going to be a little more obvious. Something like "NORMALLY, you have to book through the GP".

I reckon you dodged a bullet there, Oli.
Women are just a great big unnecessary evil pain in the arse.

Mark

Oh No Mark you are doing it all wrong ...........

Sorry I couldn't resist that

Alun, he pitched , you knocked out of the park..

Because you're like me, a shy person in general.

I think you're probably right. Around people I know I'm fairly open and fun but otherwise I am quite shy I guess.

</like my Murphys.....>

The answer to your question Oli, is because you fancied her. This makes it very difficult to think straight and will often prevent you from having the rational mind power to formulate conversation. The fact that anybody smiled at you on the tube is a fracking miracle and tbh in 90% cases probably should be followed up on.

Can't guarantee I'd have done any better, but I most definitely would have gotten off at her stop and followed her to by myself more time to think of something to say. But hey, I wasn't there, you were.

Saying that though, Mark's not wrong.