Street Talk

“Hey man, you got a light?”

“Excuse me?”

“You got a light?"

“Are you asking if you can borrow my lighter?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know the correct way to ask?”

“Huh!”

“The correct way to ask to borrow one’s possessions is to simply say “Excuse me sir, can I please borrow your lighter.” Can you try that.”

“Um..”

“Give it a try.”

“Excuse me sir, can I.."

“Please.”

“Can I please borrow your lighter.”

“There you go.”

“And your wallet.”

“Excuse me?”

“Gimmee your wallet.”

“Didn’t we just go over this? What do you think would be the correct way?”

“Hey man, I’m trying to mug you. To rob you. Don’t you get that?”

“I certainly do. Like everything else there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. If I am to be mugged, I insist on it being done the right way. So, how should you ask?”

“Excuse me sir, can I please take your wallet?”

“Very good.”

“If I go through all that, man it wouldn’t be worth mugging you.”

“Exactly!”

The young man walked away with a smug smile, leaving the middle-aged gentleman scratching his head and wondering what just happened.