The thing I hate most in life is being told off. Not long ago I was stopped by a police officer for cycling through a red light. I was totally in the wrong, but the policeman's condescending tone immediately put me on the defensive.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is, sir?" he asked me, in a bored drone. "How do you think your parents would feel if I had to knock on their door and tell them you were dead?" I stared sullenly at my feet for a while, before inspiration struck. "My parents are dead!" I lied. The police officer didn't flinch. "Well, what if I had to tell your siblings?"
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