When it emerged a fortnight ago that Transport for London (TfL) had unveiled a ‘Calm Space’ at one of its stations, a trial installation at Ealing Broadway on the western fringe of the capital, as part of its ‘future neuroinclusive design initiatives’, much of the reaction on social media was predictably, and one might say justifiably, dismissive. One user on X encapsulated a common sentiment: ‘What would provide a calmer travel environment would be clean, punctual mass transit filled with people who understood the concept of public and private spaces, and some limited policing of anti-social, fare-dodging, drug-using, and sometimes mentally deranged fellow passengers.’

This somewhat pointless initiative also overlooks a well-known paradox

This somewhat pointless initiative also overlooks a well-known paradox

On the understanding that the collective opinion of people one chooses to follow on social media isn’t representative of objective reality, and that people on X can be judgemental about things which they haven’t actually seen or read, I decided to take myself off to a station which I have visited periodically over decades.

When I rolled up at the unremarkable, grey installation last week – bestriding its entrance, I estimated it to be six........

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