Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• WE are being robbed of months and even years of our lives on an unprecedented scale by being expected to stay on phone lines while trying to get service from banks, energy companies, online retail outlets, councils, etc.

In the old days time spent in a food queue might at least result in getting your hands on a loaf of bread or a couple of spuds.

Nowadays those of us in phone queues are lucky to come away with patronising and mendacious reassurances about how important your call is to the organisation we’re calling.

And it’s no good venting our impatience because they can so easily put the phone down on us. And more fractions of our precious lives are stolen.

My estimate is that, over an average lifetime, 18 months to two years will be frittered away on phone pleas for help. Over the whole population we’re talking millennia! Something must be done!

DA SCOTT, WC1