h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When I was at sixth form, I'd often walk the four miles home from Manchester City Centre. On a summer night, it'd be a pleasant enough wander and saved me enough cash for a few more beers.

Ten years on, I've learned a few things.

1) My flat is six miles from Manchester City Centre
2) It's ing freezing at 3am in December
3) Ice isn't fun
4) If I'm not home at 4:30am and my phone is off, L will call round local A&E departments in a blind panic

Yeah. Won't be doing that again.

.603

Hah!

Then there was the time I was **on the phone** to Mountain Rescue and had to ring off because Z had finally got signal.

"Oh", he said, "It looked really flat. I didn't realise it was bog......"

Half an hour later and there would have been helicopters.

B

Hah. Luckily she didn't put a missing person's alert out.

In happier news, I did invent a new hangover cure today. Apparently standing outside in the rain eating a white chocolate Magnum works wonders...

I'll stick with the hangover thanks.

Or my own cure

1 glass Orange Juice, 1 fried breakfast with bread and butter and tea.

I'd laugh, but on Halloween weekend, K had a gig at the bar two blocks away and walked home at 3 AM. He got mugged and it was not nice at all. I was upset that they stole his wallet and got a bit of cash, ran up our debit card for two hours while the bank had me on hold, and got his Social Security number (which if you know, you can access just about anything) and our address of his driver's license.

But at least he wasn't killed, like the next person the same perps mugged that night.

So, next time, take that cab.

Oh, and we're in a good neighborhood- muggers don't necessarily stick to areas which are high crime and low income. So my advice is the same coming home from *anywhere* that time of night. Take the cab.

Fortunately it was a bit cold for muggers. Once I was out of the City Centre, I didn't see a single other pedestrian.