Day 1 of Niceness: getting to work on a tube strike day

Alright, perhaps attempting a quest to be nice on one of those days that try the patience of saints might be unwise, but hey, why not.

I'm on a number 27 bus at Edgware Road station. A very crowded bus, it is true, but I have a seat, and time to read my e-mail, catch up with the world and reflect on the day ahead.

It is a sign of the times that the bus queue outside Paddington Station had a police presence. Not just one, but a line of them. They clearly aren't expecting the 'Dunkirk spirit' to shine through... Yet, for the most part, people are being courteous and patient, trying to find a means of getting around without recourse to the Tube. "Does this bus go to X?", is the buzz phrase this morning.

Luckily for this faceless bureaucrat, patience is built in to the code of conduct. I'll get to work eventually, and taxpayers will get served - assuming that they can get through on the phones, we may be a bit short-handed...