Toting one more carrier bag than we had boarded with, we joined the impatient fellow passengers huddled hopefully around the closed door to the car deck. Front and centre a man leaning against the door frame dropped his paper cup of coffee, lurching unsteadily to pick it up again. Righting himself, he resumed his position leaning against the door frame and began a slow descent head first. Our little group watched the descending man with the self- righteous disdain and morbid curiosity we Brits are so jolly good at, until one brave soul made a move.
‘Are you OK mate?’ a grey haired Good Samaritan had shuffled his way from the back of the group to place a supporting hand on the descending man’s shoulder.
‘Yeah, I think so,’ the descending man halted his descent and smiling uncertainly, righted himself again.