20 AUGUST 1994, Page 27

Sir: There is a simple answer to Miss James's cri

de coeur referring to the curse of mobile telephones.

A friend of mine, plagued on a railway journey by incessant ringing followed by inane chatter to which the whole com- partment was subjected, enquired politely of the transgressor whether the phone was his own or did it belong to his company? On receiving assurance that it was compa- ny property, she smiled sweetly, picked it up and threw it out of the window.

Mary Killen might find this advice use- ful.

Clive Thomas

Hillside Muse, Wrotham, Kent