I SYMPATHISE with Chris Greenwell (HAS, Oct 30) about his travails at the checkout but would caution against strangulation of old ladies as a means of resolving this impasse.

We are British, after all, and expected to show a little more stoicism.

I admit having considered this option over the years but I’m afraid that if I started I’d have a problem stopping.

Actually, I have a theory that this kind of loss of control probably accounts for the prevalence of serial murderers in the US.

I’d be sorely tempted to go back and garrotte the first shop assistant who bade me goodbye by saying: “Have a nice day” or even worse: “Missing you already.”

I find shopping to be one of one of those chores that simply must be done and generally I perform the task with the minimum of goodwill and as quickly as possible.

Older people clogging up the tills at supermarket checkouts is a frequent obstacle and when I was younger I’d gain some comfort by thinking, “Well at least you’ll be dead before me”, but now I’m elderly myself I don’t even have that pleasure.

Actually as I’ve ploughed through this rant I’ve realised why my wife does not trust me with shopping.

VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland