I was going to put something down on the explosion in people wearing high visibility vests. That's parked. For another day. I had a voicemail waiting for me when I turned my mobile on this morning: someone found my briefcase. I'm amazed.

I'm not haunted by what happened on Monday. Still using the same bus stop and walking along the same streets. What does linger, oddly, is that I'm still awed and that's about the only way I can phrase it, with the audacity of the snatch. The elan of it all: the daring, the way he swooped and lifted it off the floor, almost balletic. He's a close cousin to some TV footage I once saw of horsemen in Central Asia competing to lift a sheep's carcase and clutch it until they have escaped a melee of pursuing riders. Almost identical in the movement, the boldness, the singleness of purpose, and without a doubt the utter desperation.

Kid, I have to say I was impressed. No repeat occurrence, please, and if there is, then I'm carrying a lasso, or I, at least, have the pleasure of seeing you pedal straight into fast-moving oncoming traffic.

The incident was unwelcome; the aftermath has actually been heartening. It's vindicated a belief I've had that fundamentally people are decent, want to and will help, and are public spirited. One person called the cops whilst I was running after these two kids (man in his mid-forties chasing two teenagers...on bikes. Imagine), and then looked around the immediate area with me as did another guy.

Finally, a very civic minded man spotted my bag somewhere near Shepherd's Bush central line station, realised that it was probably stolen, salvaged it, found out it belonged to me, called me, and tomorrow I collect it (or what remains in it, or even of it). He did n't have to do that, yet he did.

Three different people, oblivious of each other, displayed tremendous goodwill and consideration. How then is it possible on this evidence to claim that we live wholly in an amoral, careless world of indifference. We don't. There's nothing extraordinary about me, I'm not special, I'm not somehow sanctified or deserving of attention: I'm average, I'm anyone, I'm the man in the street, and look who people helped. We're not beasts. No, we're not at all.

Mat, Nigel, Dan, the three of you have my eternal thanks.