Some of you might not know that I have been working for the British Transport Police since late last year implementing some software.  This means I was in the thick of it yesterday when it all kicked off.  My office is in BTP Force Head Quarters in Tavistock Place.

We were in the office and there was a slight buzz going around.  We had heard there was a “collision between two trains at Kings Cross” (of course this wasn’t correct) and that there were “multiple fatalities”.  Then all sorts of reports started coming through about gas explosions and of course terrorist attacks.  We still didn’t know what exactly was going on.

I was in my office when the bus bomb went off.  The sound was like an enormous thunderclap.  When we heard the explosion, we didn’t need to ask.  We knew it had kicked off and that “it” was a terrorist attack.  The bus had exploded office at a spot where I walk past every day to get to work.  An hour earlier I had been walking past that same spot.

The explosion on the tube happened about 500 yards in another direction between Russell Square and Kings Cross, putting us right up close to two explosions.

Because we are a police station, the injured people started coming in and anyone with first aid training was asked to go downstairs and help.  A couple of ladies arrived who were on the lower floor of the bus, and they had somehow survived.  One was deaf and the other had a strong ringing sensation in her ears.  Another guy was on the bus was in constant tears.  I hate to think what he saw.

I was amazed at the lack of panic from everyone.  The cops were amazing.  Words cannot describe how calming they were.  If you didn’t know, it might have seemed almost like another day in the office.  No running, no screaming, no yelling…. just a bunch of dudes (and dudettes) getting to the job at hand.

Nobody actually said anything; everyone just started reacting to officers' needs.  Clothing, equipment, food, hotels, taxis, flights, rental cars -- whatever you could see they needed, you got for them.  Rules went out the window; people thought instantly about what they could do to help.

I started by delivering food and water to the officers and the victims at the sites.  My first point of call was the bus explosion.  I don’t want to revisit what I saw because it was so horrific; needless to say it’s not something I ever want to see again.  I remember speaking to an officer and saying, “I have some food and water for you and the victims” to which he replied, “All the victims here are dead, mate. It’s just us”.

I can’t even remember half the stuff I did yesterday, except that it was a day of extremes, a day of extreme horror but then also a day of extreme amazement.  I saw the British people at their best.  Whenever a Brit would ask me about what I liked about them I would say that “you can always count on them in a crisis” and I was right.  The public was amazing, all the bad service and negative attitude I complain about went out the window.  The question they all had now was “what can I do to help you?”.

One day later I feel physically drained, like I’ve done a hard workout at the gym (if I can remember what that’s like!).  Every muscle aches, but I’m one of the lucky ones.  Lucky is my word for the day:

Lucky because my tube train goes through Edgware Road every day and I missed the bomb by about 45 minutes.

Lucky because I walk past where the bus explosion was every day and also I missed it by about an hour.

Lucky because I was in a position where I could do something to help.  Many people wanted to contribute but couldn’t; I was able to do something, small as it was.

Most of all, I am lucky because I’ve been able to see the British at their best.  I will always remember this day and how they stood up and said, “You haven’t beaten us, guys.  It’s business as usual”.

I mourn the loss of life but I believe at least it made the sense of community here stronger.  It showed the legendary British resolve in adversity, something people speak of often but you don’t get a chance to see.

As for the terrorists I don’t feel anger for them -- I feel pity.  Pity that they are ignorant enough to think that the taking of innocent life somehow validates their arguments or that they might think this type of activity will actually achieve something positive for them.  I’m not sure what it is they really expect to achieve but I do know that yesterday’s actions just succeeded made this multicultural society much stronger.

I don’t hear the average person on the street complain about Muslims, or even blame Muslims.  It’s not a consideration for us.  We all know and acknowledge that this is the work of a minority of idiots who act in a name of a religion they have no right to take.

I guess than means that yesterday, Britain showed why the word “Great” often precedes it.