I used to use the dry-cleaners near the office, the Rue de Bailli branch of 5àSec. Until this morning, that is.

I left my best suit in before the summer break for dry-cleaning, and unfortunately misplaced the ticket. I went back a couple of weeks ago, and explained what had happened, and they were most unhelpful. I gave them a description of the suit, and they promised to look again.

I went back again last week, and they said that they had looked but hadn’t found it. I gave them a more precise description of the suit and they promised to have another look, and would let me know by Thursday, ie today.

I went back this morning and again they said they hadn’t found it. I stood there, fortuitously backed up by a colleague who had just turned up to see if they could do some dry-cleaning for him, and eventually they said that if I didn’t believe them I could look on the rack for myself.

I found my suit in a very few seconds, exactly as I had described it, safe and sound.

I’m not going back there again. Neither is my colleague.