I've had a few days that could be called "not too bad".

Sunday I was at Wood Green, which started off a bit badly but got better as the day went on; towards the end of the shift I was working two CSA's that I like, and the supervisors there tend to be out and about quite a lot, which is always good. Minor excitements included one of the ticket machines taking someone's money and then not updating the Oyster, despite claiming it had, and not spitting the money back out. Had someone come and told me this I'd have been a bit suspicious, but I'd watched every step of the transaction - and in fact done a few of the steps myself since I was showing the girl in question what to do. Cue utter confusion, and me staying by the machine to watch over the next few transactions after I'd handed her off to the supervisor and ticket office. We also had an idiot who needed to put a couple of quid on his Oyster card so that he could travel, but he decided the queue was too long at the ticket office (it consisted of three people, including the one being served - earlier in the day we'd been at 20+ ...) and insisted on jumping the barrier. Where one of the other CSA's headed him off, asked to see his ticket, and together we herded him back out of the gates again to join the (now even smaller) queue.

Monday I was at Arnos, for an 8.30 start. Highlights included a walk through the secret passage to the drivers' building, which I found highly exciting, though I think the male CSA accompanying me was convinced I was nuts by the end. (Not that he'd be wrong...) I did a stint on the platform that went fairly calmly, and the rest of the time was obviously up on the gateline, but for quite a lot of it there were two of us on and for once I didn't mind it too much. I also got to pretend to be the supervisor for five minutes, sitting in the office and watching the CCTV and computers and listening out for the phone or any important radio messages - typically, of course, sod all happened. I also sent an email from the supervisor's account (accompanied by the usual expressions of surprise at my typing speed - it's been a while since I typed in front of someone other than my partner, who would draw with me in a typing race...) to a chap who'd left a suit behind on a train. Oh, and met a VIP off one train and saw him across the road to the bus stop.

Today was actually quite good overall, although there were some slow and draggy bits. One of the ticket machines ate some of someone's money and I helped deal with that. I did some time down on the platforms and there was some to-do about a train that needed to go out of service, so a train that should have been reversing (terminating at our station then going back into Central London) actually went on to Cockfosters, and the defective train was booked to go back into the sidings. Of course some twit jumped on it just as the doors were closing and the driver set off without noticing - I tried yelling over to the man but the doors were already closed - so I sent a frantic radio message to the supervisor informing him, since passengers into sidings is a big no-no. Then I watched as the train went off.... towards the next station instead. Whether they were running it back to a different set of sidings or even all the way back to a different depot (Cockfosters would, I thought, have been closest, but for all I know it could have been some weird special problem) or had decided to enter it back in service without telling us mere station staff, I don't know, and probably never will. Wherever it went, though, that person was definitely on it!

We had several school parties through, and also a lovely nutcase who'd damaged his Oyster card so it wasn't readable. Of course he had absolutely no money on him and didn't have time to fill in a form because he was going to work. He was halfway through a Bacardi Breezer, though, and definitely had plenty of time to stand round yelling at us because we pointed out he could fill in the form or he could pay for a ticket. Eventually he gave up and miraculously pulled out a wad of banknotes (no doubt from some extra-dimensional hole to the Bank of England's vaults that had only just opened up since, as noted above, he had no money on him for a ticket!!) and bought a £3 single. And spat on one of the whiteboards on the way through - lovely chap. I pity his employer. And everyone else who has anything to do with him.

Best part of the day, however - getting a radio call from the supervisor to say that the chap whose suit was misplaced, and that I emailed yesterday, had called in to say he'd be in to collect it. As the supervisor put it, "Another satisfied customer." Glad to have succeeded at something, and I was touched that he'd actually thought to let me know that that email had made a difference.