DMcA left the library having confessed that the book that he had just returned was ten years overdue.

Now it was my turn to be served. I hastily waved my library card over the machine reader. In doing so I accidentally paid DMcA’s outstanding fine of £10.

There was nothing that the library assistant could do to correct this. I should have waited until DMcA had been fully logged off the system before attempting to check my own borrower record.