London love may be staring at you on the Tube

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - More than half of Londoners have found love on the British capital's underground railway system, an online poll said on Friday.

The "Tube", as it's affectionately known, may be crowded, sweltering and sometimes a little smelly, but it appears to be awash with romance.

The online survey, conducted by British social network Qype over a month, found 51 percent of respondents had dated, or received the phone number of someone they'd met for the first time on the London Underground.

"The Tube has its own history, its own rules and its own etiquette," Qype community manager Rob Hinchcliffe told Reuters. "Maybe that added romance of the whole Tube experience has something to do with the responses we got to our survey."

Three million passengers travel every day on the London Underground, which consists of 12 railway lines that criss-cross the city.

Almost a third of respondents said they were more likely to be attracted to someone they spotted on the Underground than in traditional singleton hot spots like bars or clubs.

"You're not out at bars every day but you're always on the Tube so if you don't have a book to read, someone might catch your eye," Hinchcliffe said.

Many respondents gave examples of pick-up lines they had heard on the Tube designed to entice fellow commuters, including: "Going my way?" and "I've forgotten where my stop is, can you tell me where you get off?"

Despite the success rate of passengers who have made the first move, typical English reserve has also put a damper on the transport world's tunnel of love.

Ninety percent of respondents said they had all found themselves attracted to a fellow commuter but unable to approach them, with 56 percent too shy, and 36 percent of women saying they weren't drunk enough, to make the first move.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)