Annabel Smyth writes:

Tony Raven wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 11 Oct 2004:

Annabel Smyth wrote:
Not even OAPs - I was very nearly sent flying by one the other day,
and
I am merely middle aged. All the same, I don't want to be knocked down,
thank you.

Methinks you do exaggerate a tad.

No. I *am* middle-aged, and I *was* very nearly sent flying ...

I suppose the argument turns on the "nearly" - one person's "nearly"
is another's "missed by miles"...