Q. Travelling on a train recently I happened to notice two former acquaintances, sitting together and very nearly opposite me, neither of whom have I spoken to for several years. The two are unknown to one another. This unfortunate coincidence left me in a difficult situation, as one is a most agreeable and attractive young lady whom ordinarily I would gladly have engaged in conversation in the hope of renewing our acquaintance, while the other is a former barman who could easily have launched into an anecdote about my rumbustious behaviour in my student days. Fearing that such an intervention might result if I spoke, I remained silent throughout the journey. My decision was made all the more painful by the fact that the young lady was obviously bored by the novel she was reading and would probably have relished some conversation. What could I have done?
—J.F.,Woodford Green, Essex
A. A trip to the buffet car would have resolved your problem.
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