While the others went on to Barcode last night, I piously resolved to have an early night. But London Transport conspired against me. Charing Cross station was shut due to a security alert. "No problem," I thought, "I can get the 139." So I crossed the road to what I thought was the stop for the 139, and one approached within ten minutes. And zoomed straight past - the stop I was at was for the N139. So off I ran to Piccadilly Circus, but somehow it didn't occur to me that I could get the tube, so fixated on catching the 139 had I become. I waited at the bus stop [the correct one this time, I checked] for five minutes, till it dawned on me that walking up to Oxford Circus would double my chances, as I could get the 139 or the 16. Halfway up there, of course, a 139 passed me. Grrr....

And obviously, I rounded the corner at Oxford Circus only to see a 16 pulling away from the stop. Now, as I say, I could get the 16 or the 139, but not from the same stop - they're 25 metres apart. I waited between the two stops for ten minutes, then thought I'd better go look at the timetable to see when the next 16 was due. As I finished perusing the timetable, I noticed that a 139 had crept unawares into the other stop. I ran for it, but the driver gleefully closed the doors in my face and drove off.

Finally, at nearly 1am, I boarded an N16, and probably wasn't in the best mood for the London Transport interviewer who asked me "Could you spare a moment? Can I ask you where you boarded this bus, and how far you had to walk to get to it?"