Alain de Botton Takes Job At Heathrow Check-In Desk

Has the harsh economic climate driven philosopher and School of Life founder Alain de Botton to a gig at the grubby coalface of customer service? Not quite: according to The Observer, he's taken a job at Terminal 5 in order to research a new book. Mr de Botton will be given the title "writer-in-residence" for his week-long employment, a necessary position in any functioning check-in team — had Ryanair employed one, the recent Stansted stand-off would have been avoided. It's to be hoped de Botton can keep his cool in the stressful working environment, though his recent behaviour gives cause for concern: in June he responded to a negative review of his latest book in the New York Times by leaving an ill-tempered screed on reviewer Caleb Crain's blog, accusing him of "killing the book" in the USA and signing off with the following cheery salutation: "I will hate you till the day I die and wish you nothing but ill will in every career move you make".