Cabbie breathalysed for talking too much

I had the strangest conversation with a cabbie in Edinburgh yesterday.

After we discussed the economy ("How long is this recession going to last?" he asked as soon as I climbed in to the back of his vehicle) the conversation became slightly more surreal.

It was clear he enjoyed talking. He also had a sense of humour inspired, I would guess, by Spike Milligan.

But it was still a surprise when he told me his behaviour had provoked a passenger to report him to the police.

"They thought I was stoned," he said.

So, as a direct result of "talking too much" (his words), the police stopped and breathalysed him.

As Richard Littlejohn would say, you couldn't make it up.