So, you have spent an evening enjoying yourself and this has involved you leaving the car at home. You have had a few drinks and a taxi would be too expensive, even if it drops you at your front door. I’m sure you have all been there, running to the station, praying that the train is still there, or even better that it is yet to arrive.
Dodging slow walkers and couples petting the night away, you catch sight of the train station and the train appears to be there. A glance at your watch and you notice that the train’s departure time is in two minutes. Please be the correct time…..
Running through the open barriers, no-one buys a ticket for the last train home, you head for the carriage door. There are crowds of fellow revellers loitering on the platform so you push your way through and jump aboard. It is absolutely packed and everyone seems to be either asleep or drunk.
The smell of kebab and the stench of stale beer fills the carriage as you clamber over someone’s legs to grab a seat by the window. Headphones go in, eyes close and you think about your bed. The last train home is never this simple and you find yourself nudged, poked or shouted at by a complete stranger.
You open your eyes and look at them. Their mouth is moving but all you can hear is Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’ on your iPod. Tired and a little worse for wear you pull the earphones out.
“Tickets please.”
Seriously, it’s half midnight and no-one needs to be paying for their train journey at this time of night. You reach into your pocket and grab a handful of coins. Usually an absolute fortune as you refuse to pay for drinks with anything smaller than a note. So you hand over what could be hundreds of pounds and he prints out a beautiful crisp train ticket.
Earphones go back in and you notice that your stop is approaching. It’s always the way. Another carriage along and you wouldn’t have had to pay. So, you stand in the doorway waiting to leave, another ten minutes and you’ll be in bed.
