Q

The Gorse Fox stood patiently in the queue. It was 18:15(*) and Halfords was not busy. Not busy, but there was a queue. In front was a young lady paying for here items, behind her two young men holding the box for a SatNav, and then the Gorse Fox clutching a ridiculously expensive 1 litre of 30W-5, or whatever.

The young lady moved off, purchases clutched tightly to her body.

The young men approach the till and show the SatNax box. "Is that box empty?" asked the assistant. The men nodded in the affirmative. "Do you want me to get you a full one?" came the follow-up.

The Gorse Fox considered the conversation and whether there really was an alternative:

• Would they have queued for so long if all they wanted was an empty box?
• £229 seems a lot for a cardboard box.
  
• If it wasn't the box, was it the air inside they were willing to buy for £229?
• If it was either of these then the Gorse Fox wonders how many such purchases are made at Halfords each day and whether there is market for small cardboard boxes.
  
• Or just perhaps they really did want the SatNav, and the box was a clue for checkout person

(*) a bad year for some - well at least he assumes it was cos he's never met anyone from then, so they appear to have been wiped out.