Can I borrow a pen?

I was on a train and the carriage was reasonably well populated. But not busy.

I was listening to my iPhone and typing on the BlackBerry when a middle-aged lady walked across to me and tried to get my attention by tapping my shoulder.

I did as we all do in these circumstances, especially if you’re British. I apologised immediately. As I couldn’t hear her. I took out my headphones, stopped the iPhone. Since I’m British. I apologised again. She apologised to me.

Apologies out of the way, we got to business.

“Do you have a pen I could borrow?” She asked.

I didn’t think so thus I stalled with an, “Errrrr,” whilst I checked my jacket pockets.

“No, sorry!” I said.

She looked disappointed.

“I’m afraid I’m high-tech only today,” I said as she walked away.

She approached the guy sat opposite me, also listening to his iPhone. After the routine introductory apologies, he checked and … Apologised again. No pen.

The woman had by this stage adopted a position of limited incredulity.

She tried the woman in the next row of chairs. No pen. She tried an elderly gent tapping away on his BlackBerry. No pen!

She tried one more young guy standing by the doors with what looked like some kind of Android handset. He just gave her strange look and explained he didn’t carry pens. Almost like saying, “Sorry I don’t smoke,” when asked for a light.

As the lady was beginning to unravel (and the incredulity of ‘no pen’ grew), the train guard came into the carriage.

He had a pen.

Posted via email from MIR Live