I travelled to London this weekend, for the first time in ages. There is a different quality to London than to the rest of the country, to the extent that when telling friends of your plans, you have to almost psychologically prepare yourself, "I'm going to London this weekend", said not of the relish that our nineteenth century counterparts attached to 'Town', but with a trepidation that simply can't be matched by Scunthorpe, Goole, or even Stockton on Tees.

There is something inherently distressing about travelling -not the prospect of a new destination, but of getting to the new destination. As you near your journey's end, the amorphous mass that is London settles on your shoulders, as the connecting elements of your travels grow close.

If I believed in a national character, I would suggest a difference between ourselves and the States. Upon arrival in any American city, you are commanded not to leave personal property unattended, for fear of its destruction. Here, however this shall lead to platform closure and delays: a plea not to inconvenience your fellow passengers.

This reassuring attitude is also extended to the Underground, which I find inherently distrustful. Perhaps it is because it is so at pains to ensure its user friendliness -whether it's the overuse of Harry Beck's schematic, the well lit areas, and cheerful primary colours. The New York subway is far less intimidating, and has less implication of something to hide: it's dirty, difficult to comprehend and easy to make mistakes.

I think the Tube's sheer efficiency is also suspect: if one train is full, another will be along in several minutes, and whats more, will correspond with the sign. Possibly, there is an over-arching fear that people will get up to mischief if left on the platform unattended. Gorge themselves on a vending machines worth of Twirls and Boosts. Probably.