Bernard Falk investigates a modern social phenomenon, commuting. What inspires hundreds of thousands of people to spend up to four hours a day commuting to work in London? How do they pass all that time spent cooped up inside crowded train carriages and buses?

Bernard meets all manner of people on his travels, from the Waterloo Station announcer Margaret Knight - who only ever sees the commuters from afar - to Spud Murphy, the helpful stationmaster at East Farleigh - who knows the names of every commuter at his station and tries to bring his own personal touch to their journeys. Solicitor Michael Gilbert uses his commute to write 'whodunit' novels, while another commuter writes poetry, and then there's the bridge players - for whom the daily commute is often too short.

Originally broadcast 4 October, 1976.





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