Man Sets Up Market Stall To Get Girlfriend

Just as Londonist inaugurates its Agony Aunt column, along comes the perfect candidate. Distressed at his unaccountable lack of a girlfriend, 32-year-old Jeremy Butler is taking a much more direct approach - by setting up a stall on a busy street corner in Crouch End.

He has also launched an advertising blitz consisting of 200 fliers and a 3 metre-tall banner reading "Girlfriend wanted, apply here".

For someone who claims to "find people very unapproachable", he's certainly taking an extrovert approach. Not many chat-up attempts come with corporate sponsorship - and from the magic cab company as well. But why would he be so determined to attract so much publicity?

Ah ... here it is:

"... Jeremy, a corporate account manager with aspirations to be a professional comedy writer ..."

Another tragic case of Barschak's Syndrome!

The really scary notion is what might happen if Butler meets with success. The streets of London might be lined with desperate single blokes touting their "wares". They'd replace ticket touts aas a menace in Tube stations. They'd be worse than charity muggers. "Excuse me Madam, if you wouldn't mind sparing a moment of your time ..."