Train pain
Spare a thought for company director Steven Staples.
He might be a big cheese in the boardroom, but there’s nothing guaranteed to bring you down to earth quicker than being stuck in the lav.
Unless, that is, your predicament is being broadcast in real time on Twitter.
Steven was travelling from London Blackfriars to Orpington in Kent when he decided to spend a penny. So far, so normal.
But when he tried to get out, the door wouldn’t budge. Panic!
Imprisoned in the lavatory and with his pleas for help going unanswered, he sent out a very modern SOS, tweeting the train operator, along with the rest of the world, from his cubicle.
With just 140 characters at his disposal, he clearly decided that brevity was his best option. “I’m stuck in a toilet,” he said. “Just pulling in to Elephant and Castle, please help. Going to Orpington.”
Workers at the rail company then exchanged a series of messages to try to establish his exact location as amused Twitter users began following his plight.
But as they scrambled a team to rescue poor Steven, he was discovered by a young female passenger who was able to free him from his toilet-shaped cell and help bring an end to his misery.
After his 15-minute ordeal ended, the train company replied with a photo of Mel Gibson as Braveheart with ‘Freedom!’ written underneath.