Once upon a train, I became aware that I would have to spend a penny before the journey was through so I begrudgingly left my seat and, following the signs down the aisle found the nearest reciprocal of human waste at the end of the carriage.

I pressed the button marked 'open' and the door slid to one side revealing a little old lady crouched on the loo seat with her elasticated trousers round her ankles and a mortified expression on her face.

Not knowing what to do, I did not act fast enough as the train jolted me forward into the cubicle with the lady still powerless on the loo. The poor lady looked even more shocked and somewhat alarmed.

The train jolted again and a man who had stood up behind me to rescue the situation was also catapulted into the cubicle. It was all too much.

We left, shame faced just as the lady politely and quietly asked us to leave and close the door behind us. This we would have done had the door not decided to close automatically at that very point shutting all three of us in there.

I'm not going to lie to you - It was awkward, very awkward.

Luckily the man took charge. He found the buttons on the inside and explained to the lady that she should press the button labelled 'lock' once we had left. He then pressed the open button and we returned to aisle, remembering to press 'close' as we did so.

There was then a pregnant pause as i returned to my seat (I had decided i could wait after all) and then many an empathetic look when the little old lady finally plucked up the courage to come out.

I hope this will serve as a warning to all: please remember to take your mum's advice of using the loo before you leave the house.

Sound advice, Willgress, I will definitely take that into account next time! (Could have been worse though...imagine if it has been an old man!)