The Commuter: a profile

The commuter is a hardy, long-suffering breed. Day after day, come sun or snow, we wait patiently on the platform. We do not laugh, we do not chat, we may not at first appear terribly friendly. We just wait. But this is not to say we are completely hard-hearted. We realise, for instance, that when the wind blows hard and the trees fall on the line, there will be delays. We realise that when it snows, there will be delays. And, even when there are the wrong kind of leaves on the line, we shrug our shoulders, mutter under our breaths, and continue to wait. But, since the timetables were changed in December, barely a day goes by when our trains are not delayed or cancelled. And the reasons are as varied as they are unhelpful: signals fail, engines break down and freight trains derail. Every day. The trains are late, overcrowded and dirty. And, how are we rewarded for our patience during these trying times? Fare rises. FARE RISES!! And now I just feel like they're making fools of us. Shouldn't we organise a protest of some kind? Any ideas gratefully received.