Another shopping game

Checkout Chatter

This is a game best played on a weekday evening, when the younger members of the working population have taken over on their part-time shifts.

The aim of the game is simply to try and get them to talk to you. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But give it a try when you've got a bored 17-year old in front of you, who can't wait to get out of the place and has little else on their mind beyond which pub their mates are going to be in and whether they're the only person still waiting to lose their virginity.

Of course, there is some standard information that they're programmed to say for example, 'Hello', 'Do you have a loyalty card?', 'That'll be £5.63, please', 'Would you like cash back with that' and 'Goodbye'. But anything beyond that can certainly become a tribulation.

Some recommended lines to try are:

• 'Has it been busy today?' (also useful when playing Cabbie Chatter)

• 'What are you doing later?' (although this can be misinterpreted)

• 'Is the price of bread always so cheap?'

You win if you can manage to get them to hold a decent conversation with you. As you improve you may choose to handicap yourself by disallowing certain subjects eg, what 'A' levels¹ they are studying or how many hours they have left to work on their shift.

Go on give it a try.

Update : The Nick Hogan fund now stands at £5693. Notwithstanding postal donations.

Thanks to all who have donated. if not there's still time to Donate