I had to go into London this morning. I don't use public transport much, as generally it doesn't go where I want it to. Today, it was more convenient than the car. Now, I understand the need for public transport and how it could help relieve congestion, but I'm not sure it's something I could put up with on a daily basis. Once, periodically is enough to remind me of all the reasons why I hate it so much.

The boss and I boarded the train with admittedly not a lot of time to spare, but based on the London Transport web timetables, the train would get us there on time. (That was a big and stupid assumption to make.)

The purpose of my visit was an early morning exam and we had to be there on time. No late-comers admitted. I was met with a sea of newspapers held at head-height in a unified effort to avoid eye-contact with the rest of the passengers. Then there was the "tsk...tsk...tsk...t..t..tsk...t..t..tsk" of several iPods together, playing a disharmonious collective back beat, puntuated only by the auto announcer, tannoy and constant coughing. (Only a doctor's surgery is worse than this. I hate them too. I always sit nervously in them, wondering what germs are floating about and waiting impatiently to leave and breathe fresh air again.)

Less than 10 minutes into the journey the train jarred to a stop. No explanation given. Several minutes later we continued only to stop further down the track. On the third halt the driver cheerfully announced that some moron on the train in front had "pulled the cord" and the train had had to make an emergency stop. I looked nervously at my watch. Time was slipping away and there was nothing we could do.

Eventually, after a couple of changes we reached the station, then we made a quick sprint for the exit, to be met with the only way out - a small lift. We waited in the queue for the doors to open, we looked at our watches again, it was looking more and more hopeless. The train journey took half an hour longer than it should have done and at that moment the only thing that would have given me satisfaction was to hang the individual who had wrecked my morning, by the emergecy cord that he was so eager to pull.

In a last pathetic attempt to make it in time, I left the map with my boss and sprinted up the road, hoping that if I got there in the last dying seconds, they might take pity on us and let us in. Well that was the plan, but in my blind panic I miss-counted and miss-read the street names and dashed way, way past the address. By the time I realised my mistake I had added another 5 minutes onto my time. I eventually turned up 20 minutes late. I stood at reception, depressed and dispairing at the fruitlessness of my efforts. I expected my boss to arrive behind me, but as it turned out she had walked casually to the building a few minutes before me and they had let her in.

Thankfully I was permitted to take the exam with the next intake, an hour later, so all luckily, was not lost.