Minor British Institutions: The fight outside the kebab shop
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Obviously drink is a factor. But why the kebab shop should be the focus for violence – rather than, say, the chippy or burger van – is less clear. Perhaps it is something to do with the extra chilli sauce that inflames passions. Or it could be the often-chaotic queuing system. Or the contents of a sometimes-untidy sandwich spilling out on to a stranger's outfit.
In any case, a sizeable proportion of the British people will have witnessed such a scrap, or at least stepped over bloodied city-centre pavements strewn with bits of kebab, squashed chips and the odd abandoned stiletto the following morning. Reason enough for this ritual to qualify as a Minor British Institution.
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