All aboard

Sometimes, even with a sense of humour and a stoic belief in public transport, travelling by train becomes a trial rather than a joy.

I joined a crowded compartment and saw, with unabashed amazement, that three of the seats had been bagged by a family of a young mother, her huge dog sitting upright on the seat next to her, slobbering and occasionally whining,  and a completely misbehaved child named Bradley.

Bradley didn't actually occupy his seat - he spent all the time running up and down the centre aisle having fights with imaginary assailants, and yelling "No!" whenever his mother weakly pleaded with him to be a good boy and sit down.

After a while, she gave this up started flicking through a magazine, while Bradley became even more boisterous and assertive.

It was hard not to fast-forward to him starting school, and the unenviable task facing his early years teacher in trying to establish appropriate behavioural boundaries against such an apparent absence in his formative years. And that's not even starting to consider the teaching role, or the presence of perhaps 30 other reception children.

Meanwhile, the dog continued to slobber, sitting and swaying gently on the train seat.