A METHODICAL man has opened a birthday card from a friend, read its message, then placed it directly in the bin as its purpose is complete.
After extracting the card from its envelope and absorbing all information on the front and interior, 32-year-old Tom Booker put the card straight in the recycling on the basis it could be of no further use.
He said: “My housemates treated this as an outrage. Apparently it’s a social faux pas to immediately dispose of something you neither want or need.
“Instead, I’m required to follow the odd social norm of displaying it for a customarily vague amount of time on a windowsill or mantelpiece, so every time a draught knocks it down I’m reminded I recently had a birthday.
“Perhaps I could have handled the situation better. I could have read ‘Happy birthday, Tom’ a second time, or taken notes. But I really felt I’d taken everything from it I could.
“Really, it’s the manufacturer’s fault. They should indicate the expected display time of the card on the back. And ideally if the ones with shit jokes about wine and ageing could have a very short expiry time that would be great.”
Tom’s friend Helen said: “I bought that card from a train station Postmark on my way here. It cost £5.75, so I expect him to mount it on the wall or make a small shrine around it.”
