Some rules are just stupid, and I'm going to write complaint letters about it until they sort it out. This is a sure sign of getting old, but I'm going to be very polite about it.

I left my umbrella on the train this morning. It's just a cheap one and there are a few holes in it that I've discretely fixed with duct tape. Later in the day I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had been handed into lost property.

They showed it to me and let me inspect it to check it was mine. Yep, the duct tape on the inside was definite proof. Then they asked me for the £3 reclaim fee. I explained that the umbrella had originally cost £2 and due to the holes and duct tape was probably worth less now.

They explained that these were the rules and they didn't have the power to change them. I let them keep the umbrella and went away feeling there was something wrong with the world.

So, to try and fix this problem for myself and all future people to lose cheap umbrellas I've written to them suggesting a revised pricing policy of 50p for umbrellas. I wonder if they'll reply.