Jeez! I just asked him where he was from and we were at it hammer and thongs! And to cap it all my Italian partner who holds the same politics as I do insisted I give him a £4 tip! On the grounds that "if you can't make peace with somebody whose views you loathe what right do you have to insist others do?" No arguing with that. It'll keep me awake tonight, though. No doubt about it.

The cab driver thinks no civilians have died in Iran except thousands of innocent protesters. And the goddamn Shah was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And don't talk to me about the dead in Gaza without first mentioning those Israelis who were killed by Hamas.

I didn't know feckers like that existed. He described himself as a freelance journalist. I told him journalists know less than anybody. He didn't like that. I was wondering could I throttle him without killing both myself n my partner.

Next time I get into a cab I keep my head down. And don't ask 'em where they're from, for feck sake.

Got a lift home from an Afghan. The partner reckoned he was ex-British army.

The world is gone to shit.