The Unhappy Commuter

What makes an unhappy commuter? Delays? Well yes, obviously, but most of us regular commuters are a fairly tolerant lot – we appreciate the complexity of the transport network and the inevitability of occasional problems that have ramifications elsewhere – as some very talented wannabe writer (now who could that be?) once put it “It’s like that Butterfly that keeps causing storms in China”). How about rudeness? Again, this is something one is conditioned to expect and rise above after a year or so on the rails. Lack of information – ah, now we are getting closer to the truth. Sitting in a crowded carriage surrounded by rural serenity, with nary a clue as to why the train has stopped moving or when it is going to start again, can cause even the most seasoned commuter to frown. Imagine the lush countryside replaced with the claustophobic dank darkness of a subterranean tunnel and you can bet that the frown will rapidly become a scowl. Doubtless, there are several factors that can ruin a commuter’s normally sunny disposition. Combine the lot of them into one, infuriating journey, and factor in a rumbling tummy as well, and you have a commuter who is not just unhappy, but severely pissed off. Which brings me neatly on to . . .