Having just suffered a 28 hour delay at the hands of Air Jamaica, I found myself being a lot more tolerant of our capital’s transport network yesterday evening. At least we have wide ranging public transport - Jamaica let the sugar beet grow over its railway about 20 years ago.

Arriving at the platform at Tottenham Court Road, the display indicator gave the rather unhelpful message of “Northern Line”. Alternate messages of keeping your belongings with you at all times and an earlier signal fault causing delays were broadcast but there was just one message saying a train was 11 minutes away and I’d have to change at Camden Town. So I sat down and the platform filled.

A harrassed girl approached the seats and looked pretty fed up that there were none available. So I offered her my seat in exchange for a pen so I could attempt the crossword. Seemed like a fair a swap to me although I can’t say she looked too happy about it for some reason.

I offered her the pen back at Camden Town but she rejected it. I went and stood on the High Barnet branch. I was trying to peer at the sign and the lady next to me asked what it said. “Northern Line” I replied. She then moaned about how it was always awful on this branch. I suggested that the High Barnet branch was not singled out for awfulness and in fact the journeys, on the whole, were pretty good but she was having none of it. A train arrived within a couple of minutes which, all in all for 10pm, doesn’t seem too bad.

It’s a mile from the tube to my home and it was drizzling and the bus I wanted was just passing me so I started to run for the bus stop which was about 100 yards away up the hill. The driver saw this and slowed next to me and opened his doors. Completely against the rules mind you, just like the bus driver who gave us a lift from the pub to the football match after we got on our knees to plead him to stop as we were late for the kick off - and his bus was out of service.

Having been in Jamaica where they say “Respect” all the time and expect you to do the same, I offered this word of thanks to the driver and took my seat in the otherwise empty bus.

I hope my higher tolerance level lasts!