Strangers in the night on the N155

Ah, the trusty old N155! My saviour in the dark night when I find myself north of the river past the midnight hours. It's a pleasure to ride and stops conveniently close to home, a mere five to ten minute stroll away through the relative safety of residential Clapham. True enough, it can take up to an hour from Trafalgar Square, but you could always make use of this time to have a friendly chat with the other passengers.

You think I'm taking the piss? No, seriously, I've had some great times on the night bus! One memorable time I was so drunk that I could hardly stand up, but once I was sat down in the bus seat I felt invigorated and I spent the next hour lecturing two of my fellow passengers, two young, unsuspecting Dutch country boys, about the virtues of cycling in London. I don't think I managed to convince them, but I had a great time anyway.

Another time I'd been to a Sunday night clubbing event. It ended quite early, but by the time I'd managed to get myself from Brick Lane down to Trafalgar Square and the N155, it was already past three o'clock. Even Trafalgar Square was quiet then, and I felt a strange sense of solidarity with the handful of people, no doubt also party-goers, who also found themselves on the N155 at this hour. Okay, I was a very drunk when I left the club, but the journey down to Trafalgar Square had sobered me up, and my lengthy heart to heart with this gay German fella was low-key and down to earth and sincere.

Strangers in the night - they could be friends you just don't know yet.