On my train I heard a man talking to someone on the other end of his mobile phone. He was wallowing in an extreme state of obsequiousness. "And how are you this morning, sir? Ha ha ha! That's great. Wonderful. No, I didn't know that about you! Wonderful! Well, it really does sound fascinating. Absolutely fascinating."

The fawning and slobbering went on for another full minute, and I concluded from this that he was talking to his boss, or perhaps an important customer. But then he said, "Well, I was hoping you could look at it sometime this week. The front end is shaking and it makes a strange noise when I shift it to park."

Sometimes a good auto mechanic is worth his weight in gold or, in this case, one's self-respect.