Dear Mary…
From the Rt Hon. Michael Howard, QC, MP
Q. A friend of mine was walking up St James’s recently behind a girl with a stunning figure. Admiring her form, he happened to notice, somewhat to his alarm, that her tightly fitting trousers were slowly beginning to split. If he speeded up his steps and tapped her on the shoulder to tell her, she might have assumed that it was an advance and delivered a resounding slap. If he slowed down his steps or crossed to the other side of the road, he was leaving her to face embarrassment in a shop or her place of work. What was his best course of action in this delicate situation?
A. It would have been considerate for your friend to quicken his pace so as to overtake the girl. Passing her without breaking step, he could have said cheerily, ‘Bad luck. You’ve picked up some wet paint on your trousers.’
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