How to fuel my paranoia

I was on the tube when the bombs went off on 7/7 last year. I had got on at Edgware Road and was stuck in a tunnel in the dark at Kings Cross for a long time. Although I managed to avoid being on the actual trains that were attacked, I was, nevertheless, somewhat shaken by the experience and am sometimes a little bit jumpy when travelling on the tube.

Today was one of those occasions. I got on at Edgware Road and was immediately sat next to by a man of middle eastern appearance. No problem there - hardly a surprise if you get on at Edgware Road! What did make me more than a tad uneasy, however, was the fact that this guy (1) was wearing a very bulky coat (in August!), (2) was visibly anxious and twitchy (3) kept checking his watch; and (4) was pressing buttons on his mobile phone.

Call me paranoid, but after a tense few minutes, I had to jump out at Baker Street and change carriages. I realise that I was almost certainly being irrational and maligning a perfectly innocent guy who was simply late for a meeting, but there you have it. Even if the police and secret services do manage to discover and prevent new terrorist attacks, the fear remains. It's just not nice for anyone.