Earlier this week, I’d just finished for the day and was driving home when I felt my phone vibrate. When I got a chance to stop and have a look I didn’t recognise the number, so I called back. This was at around 9.45pm – the original call coming in perhaps 10 minutes earlier.
The call went something like this – imagine a very thick accent, very difficult to understand on the phone:
Me: Hello, I’ve got a missed call from this number – you called a few minutes ago?
Him: Yes. I’ve got a driving test tomorrow and I wondered if you were available.
Me: I’m afraid I’m fully booked tomorrow – what time is your test?
Note that I have no intention of taking someone I’ve never seen drive to test – I’m just trying to be polite.
Him: 1.30
Me: No. I’ve got a lesson on right at that time. I’m sorry.
Him: So you’re not available?
Me: No. I’ve got lessons all day and one at exactly the time of your test.
Him: Couldn’t you cancel them?
Me: No, because a lot of these people have tests of their own coming up and they need to take the lessons. I can’t cancel people like that.
And he still persisted in trying to persuade me – I suppose that at 9.30pm he must have been getting a bit desperate.
It’s hard to fathom, sometimes, how the minds of some people work.