“Good morning, miss. Could you please cash this cheque for me?”
The cashier smiles and replies,
“It would be my pleasure. Could you please show me your ID?”
Johnson responds,
“Truthfully, I didn’t bring my ID with me. I’m Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister.”
The cashier says,
“Yes, I know who you are, sir. But with regulations in place to prevent fraud, I must insist on seeing ID.”
Johnson pleads,
“Come on, just ask anyone here. Everyone knows who I am!”
The cashier remains firm.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Johnson, but rules are rules.”
Johnson, growing frustrated, says,
“Please, just cash this cheque!”
The cashier explains,
“Here’s how we handle situations like this.
One day, Tiger Woods came in without ID. To prove he was Tiger Woods, he pulled out his putter and made a perfect shot into a cup across the room. We cashed his cheque.
Another time, Andy Murray came in without ID. He used his tennis racket to land a ball perfectly in my coffee cup. We cashed his cheque, too.
So, Mr. Johnson, what can you do to prove it’s you?”
Johnson pauses, thinking hard. Finally, he says,
“Honestly, my mind is blank. I can’t think of a single thing. I don’t have a clue.”