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Meals on Wheels
Sometime ago, riding a ’bus up 3rd Avenue in New York, a passenger behind me was eating French fries from a paper packet. When he’d obviously had enough, he threw the remainder of the fries on the floor. Another passenger picked up the fries and dumped them in the thrower’s lap, with the words: ‘We don’t want your garbage here.’ At which point the thrower drew a knife with which he threatened the tidy minded fellow. Immediately, and as if from nowhere, a young woman appeared pointing a gun at the knife wielder with the words: ‘I am an off-duty police officer. If you want to sleep at home tonight you’ll hand me that knife and get off this ’bus.’ To everybody’s relief he handed over the knife and they both got off the ’bus which continued up the Avenue.
Looking back as they disappeared in the distance, the knife wielder appeared to be demanding the return of his knife from the policewoman.
Julian Nokes©
27 01 17
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