Trapped in a cable car with a group of strangers dangling over the Thames. Sounds like a horror movie, right?
But for the operators of the cable car from North Greenwich to no man’s land, it’s one they hope will catch on to help the estimated 1 million Londoners suffering extreme loneliness.
I went along to find out about the chatty cabins initiative and to give it a whirl.
In the back of my mind, I thought of being a stressed commuter, trying to avoid eye contact at all costs, like most people do on the Tube.
In reality, people who take part vary from those struggling with bereavement to tourists visiting London on their own, or single parents just wanting to chat to an adult for a change.
I psyched myself up for the 20-minute journey, ready to be ignored or treated like an alien.
But I discovered that curiosity is not dead – and Londoners are a warm bunch when someone dares to break the ice.
Facing each other in the cabin, conversation began to flow as we took in the sights and introduced ourselves.
As the cable car whizzed on, any anxiety I felt dissolved – unlike the heat inside the greenhouse-like chamber. Instead of torture, it felt like an unexpected opportunity to connect.
With only a quick ride ahead of us, I wanted to make my time in the pod count and get to know the strangers.
William Bolding was the first to admit that ‘I’m afraid of heights’ as he clutched the handrail and braced for the journey ahead. As the wind picked up, he asked whether it was normal for the cable car to swing so much.
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He had booked a slot on the chatty cabin – which sold out last time the initiative ran – to challenge his fear, he admitted.
Jackie Hufford, a south-east Londoner who remembered riding the cable car during the 2012 Olympics, read about the chatty cabin idea in Metro.
She said: ‘I love talking to new people and travelling.’
Caroline McLeary, who I thought Jackie had brought along for a bit of confidence, said: ‘Everyone thinks we know each other already, but Jackie and I have just met.’
‘Everyone experiences loneliness,’ she said.
Naturally, the conversation turned to travel as the City Airport loomed in the background.
Despite the heavy and personal theme of loneliness, which brought us for the ride in the first place, my face hurt from smiling by the time we touched back down on the Greenwich Peninsula terminal.
I could have easily gone for a pint with our chatty cabin gang.
According to the chatty cabin initiative, being run by Transport for London until Friday, around 8% of Londoners suffer severe loneliness. But could it work underground?
Josh Crompton, the head of IFS Cloud Cable Car for TfL, said: ‘It would be difficult on the Tube. The Cable Car is different because it’s a closed environment. But we certainly encourage people to have conversations.’
Jackie and Caroline realised they lived close to one another in Lewisham and swapped numbers to keep in touch. That, I would say, marks the success of the chatty cabin initiative.
It’s proof that even in London, a city that can feel cold and distant, a simple conversation can bridge the gap between strangers.
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