Fear and defiance of London's commuters

By Chirag Trivedi
BBC News, London

Commuters once again packed Tube trains on Friday - the need to get on with normal life greater than any security fears.

Baker Street was busy as usual on Friday morning

Many people at Baker Street station felt they had no other option but to get on the Underground, despite the bombing attempt on Thursday and the attacks on 7 July that left 56 people dead.

But others said the very fact they had no option left them feeling scared about getting on the Tube.

To some, the atmosphere on the underground was just plain "weird".

Robin Weston, 26, travelled in from Southfields, south-west London. He said: "I was a little nervous this morning but it has not made any difference to me.

Noreen O'Connor was more nervous on Friday than on 7 July

"I mean the odds on something like that happening are still in your favour."

Anthony Parsons, 38, from Brixton, south London, agreed.

"It [the bombings] has made no difference to me," he said. "It was tragic that the 50-or so people died two weeks ago but about three million people use the Tube network every day."

Others, like Noreen O'Connor from Ealing, west London, said she felt more nervous last night than she did two weeks ago, even though no-one died in the incidents on Thursday.

'Must be brave'

"After the attacks two weeks ago I thought that it was a one-off. After 9/11, nothing else happened [in New York].

"But last night I was more nervous than I was two weeks ago. It is worrying that it keeps happening but sometimes you just don't have a choice but to use the Tube."

Her feelings were echoed by 27-year-old Aga Sokolske.

Angela Johnson used the Tube for the first time in three weeks

"I am very scared," she said.

"But we have to be brave. We have to get on with our lives as normal."

And Angela Johnson, 24, from Greenford, west London, said she had travelled on the Tube for the first time in three weeks.

"When the first bombs went off I was in China with work and when I came back I did not want to use the Tube.

If people are really that scared of getting on the Tube, then they wouldn't get on Renae Ferguson

"Today I had no option.

"But you can't let people who do these things to try and force you to change your way of life, make you change your life."

And Renae Ferguson, 31, from south London, said: "If I could feasibly take another route I would.

"But if people are really that scared of getting on the Tube, then they wouldn't get on.

Nilesh Parekh is comforted by police presence at stations

"It was very weird on the Tube today though - people looking at each other, looking at each other's bags."

But commuters like Nilesh Parekh, 40, from Harrow, north-west London, said the government's action has made him feel safe.

"You have to live your life as normal," he said

"The government I think is doing a very good job. Seeing police at stations make us feel a lot safer."

And Simon Fawcus, 67, who had travelled from Cheshire for the England v Australia Test match at Lord's, summed up people's feelings when he said: "If my numbers on the ticket, then it's on the ticket.

"People must get on with their lives and they won't put up with this kind of conduct."