By Melissa Jackson BBC News Online

As queues lengthened at bus stops all over London on Thursday morning, commuter optimism threatened to wane - it was clear there was a long wait ahead.

Each bus that filed past the bus stop at Shepherd's Bush Green, in west London, was packed to capacity - no more sardines could be crammed in.

But most commuters decided holding out was the only option.

A few thought walking might be quicker, but hardly anyone considered giving up and heading for home.

There's no other choice but to queue and people are resigned to the fact it's going to be a long morning

Helen Dancer

Despite the travel chaos, most had sympathy with London Underground staff and their decision to take 24-hour strike action over privatisation plans for the Tube.

Krishna Iyer had set out from Hounslow at 0630BST and got to Shepherd's Bush by about 0800, where he was standing in a bus queue.

The BT business analyst was trying to get to Leicester Square, but had watched several number 94 buses pass by without stopping, unable to take any more passengers.

It was now 0830 and there was little prospect of making any progress in his journey.

He said: "It's nice being a bit mad sometimes. At least I'm getting to see London."

This type of good humour characterised the mood at the bus stop.

Right to strike

Helen Dancer and Lisa Babalis, both residents of Shepherd's Bush, had been waiting in the bus queue for 30 minutes and seen at least five full buses crawl past without stopping.

Helen said: "They should have put on more buses or our bosses should have given us the day off work.

Lisa Babalis: Commuters showed stoicism

"There's no other choice but to queue and people are resigned to the fact it's going to be a long morning."

Lisa said: "People in the queue have been stoical."

Julien Desaussure, who is working in London over the summer, said he was quite used to strikes because they happen quite regularly back home in France.

He was sympathetic to the motives behind the industrial action.

"It's a good thing that people are allowed to strike. It's a part of democracy," he said.

Early coffee break

Robyn Adams was heading for work at Capital Radio in Leicester Square and supposed to be in the office by 0930.

It was not looking very likely she would get to work on time. She was still waiting in a long bus queue at 0915.

Krishna Iyer: Good way to see London

She said: "I'm not too panicked. I might go home for a coffee and let a few people go and then come back later."

But the coffee break was put on hold when an empty number 94 pulled out of the Shepherd's Bush garage and there was a mad scramble to jump on board.

Robyn was one of the lucky ones and found a seat upstairs, but not everyone was so fortunate.

Shank's pony

Swede Kjell Erlandsson was one of those left on the pavement.

A physicist at the Middlesex Hospital at Oxford Circus, he was considering his options.

He said: "I hope to get on the next bus, but I could always walk from here.

"If there is no bus by 0930 then I might start thinking about walking."

Tom Hulbert: Patience was tested

He said he had little sympathy with the striking tube staff.

Mr Erlandsson said: "So many people are affected by this strike. It has caused so much disruption."

Tom Hulbert said his patience was being tested to the limit standing in the bus queue.

He also had little respect for the strike.

He said: "It's a bit hard to have any sympathy when you've been waiting in a queue for one-and-a-half hours."

If patience was wearing thin in the morning, it was likely to be ground into the pavement by Thursday evening as part two of the great journey to and from work had to be negotiated.