In tribute to Overheard in ..., a series of sites with an interesting concept.

Walking around town today, we were all ears to what was going on around us.

A young couple were walking arm and arm and the girl playfully thumped her boyfriend on the top of his arm. "Ouch," he said, nursing his tricep, "that hurt!"

"What!" she said, "That's funny, I thought you were built like a shit brick house."

There were more humorous faux pas to come as we stood in line in the ice cream shop.

A good day to die?

Faced with a selection of about 30 exotic ice-creams and sorbets in a brightly lit display counter, I was all eyes. But when an older gent staggered into the store and stood muttering behind another couple in the next line, I was all ears too. As I decided between some wierd carrot and pineapple sorbet, and a nectarine and elderberry ice-cream, I could sense him studying the beautiful produce. I laughed out loud when I heard him say to no-one in particular,

"Great looking ice-cream, but that shit'll kill you."

The lady in front of him turned round a little cautiously, and then smiled when she saw the harmless veteran tottering on the spot. When she turned back, he then went on to say,

"Trouble with getting old, they tell you not to eat this, you can't eat that. It's shit. Guess you have to die of something."

As the lady in front stepped forward to be served, he raised his voice a little and asked the assistant,

"Miss, got anything suitable for a diabetic?"

She didn't. He stood disbelieving and unsteady. The lady in front, turned round again and gave him a sympathetic smile.

It obviously wasn't a good day to die, though, because he just staggered off muttering about how the shit'd kill you, getting old is shit...


Have you checked out "Overheard" ... in passing | in New York | in Pittsburgh | in Philly | in the UK | in Utah | in Bucharest | at the Mecca | Lines | in the office