Sometimes, the answer only becomes clear when you stop trying to work it out, and give in to the incongruity of things. I was buying some shopping at Sainsbury’s in Balham. I picked a check-out where the conveyor belt was empty and the cashier looked as if she was waiting for the next customer.
But as I started to unload my shopping, she looked up, shook her head and said:
‘Not closed.’
‘You’re closed?’ I said, thinking that must be what she meant.
‘Not closed,’ she insisted.
So I went on unloading my shopping. Upon which she shouted, ‘Not closed!’ and motioned at me to take my shopping back off the belt.
‘Not closed?’ I asked.
‘Not closed,’ she said.
And it was at this point that I uncharacteristically gave up arguing, for reasons I shall explain later, walked to the neighbouring check-out and unloaded my shopping there.As
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