AD SENSE

Paying Attention

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes, was not above telling self- deprecating tales.*
*In one situation, he was waiting at a taxi stand outside the railway station in Paris. *
*When a taxi pulled up, he placed his suitcase in the car and took a seat next to it.

"Where can I take you, Mr. Doyle?" asked the taxi driver.*
*Doyle was flabbergasted. *
He asked the driver whether he knew him by sight.
"No, sir, I have never seen you before.
"The puzzled Doyle asked him how he knew he was Conan Doyle.
*"This morning's paper had a story about you being on vacation in
Marseilles. This is the taxi-stand where people who return from Marseilles
always come to. Your skin color tells me you have been on vacation. The
ink-spot on your right index finger suggests to me that you're a writer.
Your clothing is very English, and not French. And so, I deduced that you
are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.*

*"Doyle remarked, "This is truly amazing. You are a real-life counterpart
to my fictional creation, Sherlock Holmes."*

"There is one other thing," the driver said.
"What is that?"
*"Your name is on the front of your suitcase." *