‘Journal Entry.,Sunday 30th November: Wandering the streets of Newcastle. Katy dropped me off at South Hylton, the start and end of the Tyne & Wear Metro line. It’s in the opposite direction, but at least I know I’ll get a seat. By the time the train got back to Seaburn, on the way to Newcastle, it was packed. Opposite me, there’s a group of teens, a couple of them puffing on vapes, sending a foul rhubarb & custard miasma throughout the carriage. A lad, no older than 11 or 12, sat with his feet on the seats next to him, taking up three valuable spaces. Nobody said anything. It’s not worth it. You just get a deluge of abuse, or worse. 

The new Metro trains, introduced over the last few months, have fewer seats and one major design flaw. There’s no handrail or grips for standing passengers, so when the carriage brakes or lurches, you need to either be an experienced surfer or clutch onto whoever’s standing next to you. It’s not a situation that’ll end well.’