A Ruse and Respect in Derby.

I had a thought when I was in Derby today. If you want to walk around a town centre talking to yourself without attracting quizzical frowns from the masses, all you need do is hold a mobile phone to your ear. I decided it was one of the leading benefits of modern technology.

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The girl in the coffee shop was running about like a mad thing, trying to deal with the small queue that had built up. When she got to me she said 'sorry to keep you waiting.'

'Bet your wages don't acurately reflect how hard you work, do they?' I said.

'Nope.'

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And while I was sitting on a sofa in the shopping mall, munching my vegetable samosas from the Asian tucker wagon, a woman approached and asked whether I’d mind if she placed her handbag on the arm of the seat while she rummaged in it. When she finished she said ‘thank you.’ I returned the thanks, because a lot of people wouldn’t have shown that much respect for my personal space.