Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 07:17:46 -0500 (EST) Subject: BLAGUES-L: Runner's guide Un envoi de Patrick Hubert. Long a lire, mais quel delice! The Complete Runner's Guide --------------------------- By Sean Kenwrick - 'The Running Man' ------------------------------------ DISCLAIMER ---------- THE FOLLOWING FILE IS JUST A COLLECTION OF CHARACTERS WHICH IF READ IN A CERTAIN ORDER AND HAVE CERTAIN RULES OF SYNTAX AND GRAMMAR APPLIED TO THEM, COULD PRODUCE A DOCUMENT EXPLAINING HOW TO RUN FROM RESTAURANTS. OTHERWISE THIS IS JUST A FILE FULL OF CHARACTERS NOTHING MORE. ALSO WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT, ANY SIMILARITY TO ANY PERSON LIVING OR DEAD, PARTICULARLY ALL REFERENCES TO MYSELF ARE PURELY COINCIDENTAL. MOST OF THE TECHNIQUES FOUND HEREIN ARE AVAILABLE IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES - WELL THE WORDS ARE ANYWAY - AND ARE INTENDED TO USE UP DISK SPACE ONLY AND ARE NOT MEANT TO BE READ BY ANYONE. FOREWORD -------- Despite the claims made by the title, this is not a complete guide but merely an attempt to pass on what little knowledge I have on this subject in the hope that others may take pleasure from this pastime as I have in the past. Before I go on I suppose I had better explain to any non-native English speakers (such as Americans) what a runner is. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as: runner (n) [run-nr] 1. The act of leaving a food and drink establishment before paying the bill. 2. Person who runs The following guide is based on my experiences over a period of several years of running from restaurants around the Birmingham area in the UK. The majority of these runners were done from Indian restaurants, mainly because they form the vast majority of restaurants in my area and are also the only places that stay open after the pubs shut. However I have not restricted my activities exclusively to these restaurants; other runners have been done from a variety of restaurants including several Chineses, a couple of Italians, one Pizza Hut and a Mcdonalds. The latter of these did not really provide the challenge and adrenalin rush that I normally expect from a running experience, and left me feeling rather unfulfilled. However since that is exactly feeling I normally get after leaving a McDonalds it didn't make much difference. I'm sure there are many others out there who could contribute their valuable experience to this guide, and I would be happy to hear your experiences so that this guide can grow and become a classic in its own right - a must for every household. 1. GETTING STARTED. ------------------- The first runner is always the hardest. You will not taste a single mouthful of your food and your stomach will churn continually. You will spend the entire meal hunched over your food whispering and looking furtively at the door. And when the waiter arrives with your bill you will promptly pay it and leave a generous tip. Alternatively, you will do all of the above but at the critical moment you take the plunge. Panic will take hold as you fly across the restaurant towards the door. Old friendships mean nothing in these moments as you scrabble for the exit - you would gladly trample your friends to the ground in your attempt to escape. Then suddenly you'll be free. You'll pour out into the street and you'll feel a great rush of adrenalin and elation and you will run and run and laugh and laugh and laugh.... It may take you several abortive attempts before you actually make a successful run, but don't give up, the final achievement is worth the wait. Remember, running the first time is like diving off the high board for the first time - if you think about it too much you won't do it. However once you have taken the decisive plunge there will be no going back, your innocence will be lost forever ... ... You will become one of us. On your first run it is probably better not to have experienced runner with you. This may sound strange, but an experience runner is likely to be the first to the door - which means that you won't be. It is better that you run with other virgins - then if you've got the guts to lead the way, you'll be the one who's first to the door. Also try not to act too suspiciously. The first time I attempted a runner was from a Chinese restaurant, but we were acting so furtively that they asked us to pay before the meal arrived. A total disaster since only one of had money and the bill came to about half his weekly social security cheque. This leads me to my next tip.... Make sure you can afford to pay if something goes wrong. For first timers this will help you to relax a little, safe in the knowledge that you have nothing to lose. Finally and most importantly: Don't get caught! If you remember the above points and take in a few of the points in the rest of the guide you should enjoy a long a successful running career. 2. RULES OF THE GAME -------------------- There are several rules and codes of honour that a true running man (or woman) should adhere to. These rules have been in place since the first ever recorded runner by Marco Polo when he legged it from a Chinese restaurant during his travels in the 13th century. Remember that this is a pastime that is steeped in tradition and custom, and any violation of its strict codes will result in the eventual demise of this noble art. I therefore urge you to read carefully the following rules and ensure that you adhere to them at all times. RULE 1: EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. ------------------------------- This first rule is probably the most important and will serve you well if you use it without exception. An accomplished runner will have no qualms about leaving his friends behind so long as he makes good his own escape. In fact, as you will see later, it is sometimes desirable or necessary to be the only person who escapes. RULE 2: NEVER PAY FOR A MEAL ONCE YOU HAVE ESCAPED. ---------------------------------------------------- This rule should not need to be mentioned amongst experience runners but should be mentioned in advance if you are in the presence of the inexperienced. Occasionally an inexperienced runner will whine for their money if they got caught and were forced to foot the bill. DO NOT PAY THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. This is not a game for the weak and feeble; this is an art that carries with it certain risks, and the participants should be aware of the risks before they start. If you are having trouble with a whinging virgin then you should refer them to this section immediately and that should settle the matter without further ado. RULE 3: BE COURTEOUS AT ALL TIMES. ----------------------------------- There is nothing worse than a bunch of drunken yobs abusing the staff and being generally obnoxious. You should conduct yourself with dignity at all times. Remember, you are about to steal from these people so the least you can do is be polite. RULE 4: DO NOT BE TOO OBVIOUS. ------------------------------ It is likely that place you are running from has seen it all before, particularly if it frequented after throwing out time at the pubs. Therefore do not chose a table too near to the door, this will only arouse suspicion. A carefully executed runner will take every body completely by surprise and it won't matter if you have a few yards to run before reaching the exit. Often you can be past a waiter on the way to the door before he has time to drop his jaw. As mentioned before, try not to look too nervous or act suspiciously. Try to relax and enjoy your meal and you will find an opportunity will open itself to you. If you are being watched then it makes the job much harder. RULE 5: PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE. ------------------------------- There is nothing worse that bursting from a restaurant and finding that you don't know which way to run. In your panic you will find yourself running up blind alleys and/or being separated from your friends. Take a few moments before you enter to plan an escape route and meeting place for afterwards should you get separated. RULE 6: OBSERVE THE GREEN CROSS CODE. ------------------------------------- Five of us once burst forth from a Balti house and followed our leader, lemming style, across one of the busiest roads in Birmingham. Afterwards we realised that not one of us had been looking at anything other than the soles of the feet of the person in front. Remember: look before you listen before you cross! RULE 7: IF YOU GET CAUGHT - DON'T PANIC. ---------------------------------------- It is inevitable that at some point you are going to find yourself in the position of being left behind after you friends have made a triumphant getaway. This does not necessarily mean that you have to foot the entire bill. Offer to pay for your own bill only. Tell them that by law you are only required to pay for the food you ate yourself and not for everybody else's meal (I don't know if this is actually true but it sounds very convincing). It is likely that they will be happy to cut their losses and get what they can - you could be generous and offer to pay for drinks for example. If they threaten to call the police, call their bluff. Keep insisting that you only have to pay for your own bill. If the police are actually called there is still no need to panic. Make up a story about how you shared a taxi with some guys and they asked if you wanted to join them for a meal, and the bastards did a runner leaving you behind. Tell them you are now offering to pay for your meal AND the drinks but the manager is being totally unreasonable about the whole affair. If you're lucky the cops might be slightly amused by your tale and help you negotiate a compromise. If not, now is the time to get your cheque book out. Note: I have never had to pay for a meal other than my own, and a couple of times I've claimed that I only had a starter and got away with it. RULE 8: DON'T RUN FROM YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT. ------------------------------------------------- One of the unfortunate side effects of this pastime is that gradually there will be less and less restaurants that you can frequent. Therefore you must keep the best places as sacred ground, where it would be blasphemous to even mention the word 'runner' within their walls. This may sound obvious but once you become a regular runner you will find there is temptation at every turn. A few drinks and you begin to hear the voices in your head: "ruuunn ruuuun, its eeeeassyy". Ignore them at all costs. RULE 9: CHECK THAT YOU HAVE ALL YOUR BELONGINGS WITH YOU. -------------------------------------------------------------- This is a very common mistake even amongst the advanced runners. Make sure you take all you belongings with you when you go - it is rather embarrassing having to skulk back to a restaurant to retrieve your coat, your bag, your wallet, your credit card, your keys or some other valuable item that you have left behind. You can be sure that you will have to foot the whole bill before you get your belongings back. 3. CHOOSING A VENUE. -------------------- The choice of venue is an important issue for an accomplished runner. When making a choice about a restaurant one must take into account several factors. Obviously the food must come up to the standard that one expects when dining out and the ambience of the establishment should be satisfactory. But most importantly one must choose a place that will offer the kind of challenge that is commensurate with your experience. For example, for first timers it would be better to chose a place that is not used to serving people who have just emerged from the pub. Perhaps a place that is in a quiet area with normally respectable clientele. Also avoid places with stairways and double doorways. As your experience grows you can attempt more challenging venues until eventually you will be able to escape from even the most daunting of security arrangements. Sometimes it is necessary to visit a restaurant in advance to establish how tight their security is. Of course this may involve actually paying for a meal, so quite often these reconnaissance expeditions result in a first time runner. However if the security is particularly tight the it may take several visits before a runner is attempted. One time we had to visit to a restaurant three times before we worked out how the locking mechanism on the door was released (yes, some places actually lock you in). This involved removing a small metal pin and then releasing the latch and turning the handle; not very easy when you've got to get it right first time in about half a second. Luckily that one was a success and everyone made their getaway. Following is a list of some of the factors you should take into account when selecting a restaurant. You should try and chose a combination of these factors depending upon the level of challenge that you expect relative to your experience: i) Awareness of staff. ----------------------- This is a very important factor when choosing a venue and can range from total naivety to extreme sharpness. This will be related to area that the restaurant is in and the time of night the you are frequenting it. Avoid restaurants that are used to dealing with drunken troublemakers if you want an easy getaway. ii) Stairways. -------------- Stairways are one of the major causes of people getting caught during runners. While you are on the stairway you are still inside the restaurant and therefore are more likely to be pursued (whereas it is rare that you will be pursued once you make it into the street). The door at the bottom of the stairway, and any doors on the way down, cause a bottle neck effect and result in pile ups. Any pursuing party will still be in the free flowing part of the bottle and may easily catch the tailenders. Therefore it would be wise to always try to be near the front if there is a stairway to navigate. However first is not always the best as the following cautionary tale will show... Once in an Indian restaurant in Coventry I was dining with some student friends and we had decided that we were going to run. The three guys I was with were all newbies to the game and so were shitting themselves, as the old phrase goes. The restaurant was a huge place that was on the first floor in what used to be a cinema and had a stairway leading down to the exit. The stairway was in two sections with a door that opened inwards halfway down and the other door leading to the street. I had my plan already worked out; part of which involved me reaching the door and being out into the street before the others had even blinked. Unfortunately I hadn't counted on how nervous my three friends actually were, and one in particular could bare the suspense no longer a made a break for the door when we were barely half way through our meal. The reaction of the other two was instantaneous and I found myself trailing the group as we flew across the room. To my horror I saw one of the young and well built waiters make chase. When we reached the top of the stairs I could hear footsteps close behind me, and with two bottle necks and three inexperienced people in front of me I was surely doomed. The footsteps behind me were closing and I thought I would be caught in the first pile up at the first door, but when the leading man reached the door he had to step backwards and sideways in order to open it. Before he had time to change direction and start heading forwards again the three of us were past him as he stood there obligingly holding the door for us. By the time he made to follow us, the pursuing waiter was upon him and slapped him squarely between the shoulder blades which sent him tumbling down the second flight of stairs. As I burst out into the cold air and to freedom, his hand clipped the back of my heel as he landed in a crumpled pile at the bottom of the stairs. I took a few stumbling steps and nearly went down myself before I managed to right myself and disappeared into the night. In typical virgin style he coughed up for the whole bill and whined for weeks for his money. Non of which was forthcoming of course. 3.2 Double doors. ----------------- These are also designed to create bottle necks and make escape more difficult, particularly if the doors are at right angles to each other and both open inwards. However, in practice they are pretty ineffective as the pile up is too brief before you are into the street. 3.3 Member of staff positioned on the door. ------------------------------------------- Some places have a waiter hovering constantly by the door letting people in and out and saying hello and goodnight. Restaurants with this security feature should be avoided by the inexperienced but should prove little problem to the master. 3.4 Lock ins. ------------- This is very common in many Indian restaurants in Birmingham and Coventry and also in other large cities further north such as Liverpool and Manchester. Before frequenting a restaurant you should first check whether or not they are operating a lock in. There is nothing more embarrassing than bolting for the door only to find that it is locked. Totally uncool. If it is not possible to open the lock then other methods should be employed (see RUNNING TECHNIQUES). This is only for the advanced runner. 3.5 Bouncer on the door. ------------------------ This is the most extreme form of security and thus the most difficult to beat. The bouncers that are employed for this job are usually mean mothers who are just praying that someone is going to try to get past them. The stakes are much higher than the cost of the bill in this case so this is definitely for masters only. 4.RUNNING TECHNIQUES. -------------------- The following are some of the techniques that I have used to make good my escape from a variety of restaurants. If you have any other methods that I could add to this list I would be pleased to hear from you. 4.1 OPPORTUNITY. ---------------- This is the most important of the techniques employed by a runner. Opportunity can appear in a moment and must be seized immediately before it disappears from whence it came. Opportunity takes on many forms and you will learn to recognise them as your experience grows. An opportunity might be in the form of a drunken yob causing trouble, or an argument between the staff, or someone complaining about the food, or the doorman going to the toilet. It might be the confusion after another table has just done a runner, or the door being left open, or the waiter sweeping up a broken glass. Sometimes the opportunity might be just that the waiter who has been watching you like a hawk all evening turns his back for a half a second. When he next looks round you should be gone. 4.2 CREATE A DISTRACTION. ------------------------- This is really for advanced runners and masters only as many of these methods increase the stakes of being caught. However there is often no alternative in some security conscious places than to try alternative measures. Following are some of the techniques that I have employed in order to secure my getaway. 4.2.1 Flood the toilet. ----------------------- Very simple but rather crude and verging on vandalism. I used this in my youth but as I matured it was dropped from my repertoire. It involves putting the plug into the sink or stuffing the plug hole with toilet paper, then turning on the taps. You then return to your table and wait for someone to notice. Once it has been spotted all the waiters are likely to be curious about what the fuss is all about and will go to investigate. Now is the time to make your exit. 4.2.2 Pyrotechnics. ------------------- This I've never done myself though I think would be a better alternative to the above. Either let off a smoke bomb or light a large banger with a long fuse. The sound of an explosion or smoke coming for the toilet is bound to cause quite a stir. Another alternative, which from what I've heard would be extremely effective, is a dry ice bomb. This involves placing dry ice into a 2 Litre plastic coke bottle, add a little water and screw the top on tight. Leave in the toilet and then a couple of minutes later there will be the most almighty explosion. According to 'The Big Book of Mischief' (Available on the Internet) this bang will sound like a M-100, whatever that might be. But whatever it is I bet it's loud. 4.2.3 Start a fight. -------------------- This is one of the all time classic techniques for running and should be used only on special occasions. It involves splitting into two groups and arriving at the restaurant at different times. Then during the meal you pick a fight on the other table.... When I did this with a group of friends in Birmingham we split into blacks and whites then used the pretence of racism to start a fight. Half way through the meal one of the black guys suddenly stood up and shouted 'what you looking at honky' or words to that effect. Then after an angry exchange of words and threats the waiters, who didn't want any trouble in their restaurant, managed to calm us down. This set the scene for the showdown at the end of the meal when after another exchange of words a full scale confrontation was set up between the two groups. Now if you think back to your school days you will remember that its possible to hit you friend pretty hard in a pretend fight without actually hurting them. So when the 'fight' actually broke out it looked pretty convincing. Chairs were being knocked over and fists were flying, and all the waiters could think of was to get us outside. "Outside please! Outside please!" was all we heard as the waiters helped us through the door. Once outside we all promptly stopped fighting and legged it up the road. 4.3 THE WALKER. --------------- This is another classic running technique and is usually employed to get past the doorman or any other member of staff that might be blocking your escape. The last time I did this was on a Christmas eve in Coventry. There were four of us eating in the restaurant and initially two of the group refused to sit with myself and my other friend because they knew of our reputation as masters of the art, and being fairly inexperienced themselves and generally lily livered they were too scared to sit with us. However once we pointed out the mean looking doorman on the door they agreed to join us. Admittedly things were looking grim. Not only was the doorman very mean looking he was also locking and unlocking the door to let people in and out. My two inexperienced friends relaxed and settled down to their meals. As we finished our meals the doorman showed no sign of leaving his post and I feared that defeat may be looming. However a master runner will never admit defeat until he has received his change in a little brown leather folder, so the only thing was to wait for opportunity to rear its head. And sure enough it did. For the inexperienced it might have been hard to spot as indeed it was for my two friends who missed it completely. However no words were necessary between the masters who both saw it instantly and a knowing look was all that was necessary to communicate what had to be done. Nearby a table of four was just getting up to leave. As they passed us, myself and my friend silently slipped from the table and joined the back of the group. As they approached the door the doorman unlocked it and helpfully held it open for them. As we strolled casually passed the doorman he enquired kindly: "Nice meal lads?" "Yeah" we replied "Great thanks". Another variation on this theme is to just get up as though you have paid and casually leave. Again the doorman will probably wish you a good night and hope that you enjoyed your meal. If you're stopped you just claim that it was a big mixup and you though so and so was paying etc etc. 4.4 ALTERNATIVE EXITS. ---------------------- Sometimes they will be no possible way of escaping through the door either because it is locked or guarded or both. In this case it is time to look for alternative exits. Usually in back street restaurants the toilets will be make shift affairs at the back of the restaurant. Often you have to go past the kitchens to get to them. If this is the case then you should perhaps look for a back door or side door to rear of the building. One time a friend of mine excused himself to go to the toilet near the end of a meal. He was a master runner himself so did nothing to arouse the suspicions of the others at the table. However, I was able to sense something was afoot and so shortly excused myself and went after him. Sure enough there was no sign of him in the toilets so I investigated a little further into the back of the restaurant. There I found a storeroom with a backdoor leading out into the garden. Someone had previously kicked the bottom panels out of the door and my friend was currently halfway through the small hole. I went over and turned the handle which he had obviously forgotten to try, since the door promptly swung open with him still halfway through it. His arms were'nt quite through properly yet so he was unable to stop his head from rebounding off the back wall. After much cursing and threats I helped him out of the door and we clambered up the six foot wall that was covered in barbed wire and jumped. Unfortunately the wall was ten feet high on the other side and finished at the bottom with a large puddle. But what mattered most was that we had escaped, and nobody could understand how we had managed to get passed the doorman without being seen or why we were covered in black mud. Other things to look for are toilet windows, or sidewindows on the stairs leading to the toilets. It is a rather satisfying feeling when you get up to go to the toilet and never come back knowing that it probably would never cross the minds of the people you have left behind that you might have escaped. They will sit there patiently wondering what could possibly be keeping you. One of the amusing side effects of this is that eventually someone will come looking for you. When they discover your escape they will not want to be left behind to face the music, so they too will make their escape. After a while somebody else is going to wonder what's keeping the second person and come to check for themselves and so on ... 5. ADVANCED TECHNIQUES. ----------------------- Once your group gains mastery of the art of running then you will find that the challenge of outwitting the restaurant staff needs to be supplemented by the challenge of outwitting each other. Although the group runner will still feature in your repertoire, in high security situations you will find that you will need operate more and more as an individual. In fact not only will you be acting as an individual, you will now have reached the stage where you are in direct competition with your fellow runners. The rule is that anything goes, and if someone is left behind to face the music then all the better - they will be wiser next time. Also, the dirtier the trick you can play the better, and the deeper in the shit you leave your friends the funnier it becomes. Following are some of the bastard tricks that I have played during my time. 5.1 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 1. --------------------------- If one of you're party goes to the toilet near the end of the meal then it is only fair that you should take your leave at this point to teach him not to be so stupid. A walker is possibly called for here, but even a fully fledged runner should produce some interesting reactions all round when the staff find that you've left someone behind. 5.2 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 2. --------------------------- If someone decides to fall asleep at the table then their rudeness should be dealt with harshly. The usual tactic is to place the bill under their hand before you leave. 5.3 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 3. --------------------------- Tell everyone that you are going to pay the bill by cheque or credit card and get everybody to give you the cash value of their meal. Then you excuse yourself while you go to the toilet or up to the counter to pay. Make sure that's the last that anyone sees of you. 5.4 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 4. --------------------------- This is a variation on the above theme and should be done when you are all short of money at the end of the night. You get everyone to contribute what they have left into a kitty, the plan being to buy a selection of dishes and to share them between you. The only thing is, you make sure that your holding the kitty and you make an escape at the end of the meal. This is a particularly good trick since you can be sure that all those left behind have not a single penny between them. I have actually played this trick two weeks in succession with the same two people (stupid or what?). 5.4 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 5. --------------------------- This is a particulary dirty trick and is hence one of the funniest. It is probably better to prearrange this so that there are just a few of the group who are in on the joke, whilst the remainder are completely oblivious. You arrange that you are going to do a group runner from a chosen restaurant, and you ensure that those of you that are in with the trick are situated so that you can be near the back of the escaping party. At the end of the meal when the signal is given the entire group breaks for the door. However when the last person who knows about the trick leaves the restaurant they should pull the door behind them and stand outside and hold it shut. Then all of those on the outside can watch in safety as the events unfold within the restaurant - usually starting with the looks of panic, then disbelief on the faces of the unfortunate few who are left struggling at the door. You can stay there as long as you want enjoying the spectacle before you finally make you escape. However watch out for staff emerging from side entrances or the appearance of the police. 5.5 BASTARD TRICK NUMBER 6. --------------------------- This isn't actually a runner but is a great trick so I have included it here. If one of your party is skint at the end of the night then take them under your wing a tell them not to worry as you'll sort them out with a meal. During the meal you assure them you'll pay for everything and encourage them top splash out. When the bill finally arrives you can watch the horror dawn across their face as you place the exact amount for your meal on the plate. If you are feeling really mean you can even grass them up if they try to make a run for it. 5.6 THE REVERSE BASTARD. ------------------------ This trick is also a classic and may be very hard to reproduce but I relate it here in case you have opportunity to try it, or some variation of it, if you find yourself at the receiving end of one of the above bastard tricks. A fellow master in Liverpool was once in a group who left one of their party behind in exactly the manner described in 5.2 above. When the person was woken up by the waiter he was in trouble because he didn't have enough money to pay the bill. Fortunately for him there were two guys on another table who saw what had happened and decided to help him out. So after paying for the bill, these two guys got chatting with the victim and hatched a fiendish plan that would allow them to recover their money and to reap revenge for out friend. The five people who had left the unfortunate victim to his fate lived in three different student houses. That night each house was visited by D.C Meades and D.C Brook from the Liverpool Constabulary who had obtained their addresses from a friend of their's who they had left behind in an Indian restaurant earlier that night. Now, D.C Meades and D.C Brook were a reasonable pair and didn't want to have to take things any further, so if the entire bill could be settled then the matter could be written off as high spirits. Needless to say they came away with three times their initial investment and exacted a fitting revenge for the person left behind. The only person that twigged was in the last house. As he handed over the money he said "You're not really police are you?" "No we're not" they replied "Thank you very much." 6. GRADUATION. -------------- In order to be recognised as a true master of the art, one must be able to show proficiency in all of the above techniques and to be able to demonstrate a certain amount of originality and ingenuity in devising new methods of their own. In addition to this, to become a fully fledged master, it is necessary for the runner to undergo the graduation tests. These tests should be carried out with a single partner who is at the same advanced level and who is will also graduate to master level should the tests be completed. If possible each test should be witnessed by others who should sit at a different table and make no attempt to interfere in either a positive or negative way. TEST 1: TO RUN FROM THE SAME PLACE TWICE WITHIN ONE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------- In order to do this successfully you must be able to eat a meal and run without bringing any attention to yourselves at all. You should be able to blend into the crowd completely and be able to slip out in the blink of an eye. TEST 2: TO LEAVE VIA AN ALTERNATIVE EXIT ---------------------------------------- This is to test your resourcefulness and your physical agility. Often the alternative exits lead out onto roofs or into walled off yards. One must have the guts to venture out into the unknown and the strength to overcome any obstacle that may present itself. TEST 3: TO TAKE A MEAL WITHOUT A SINGLE PENNY IN YOUR POCKET ----------------------------------------------------------- This is the ultimate test for a runner and will really demonstrate the qualities required in a master. The meal should include starters and drinks. These tests can be taken over a period of several weeks if required and it doesn't matter if there are several aborted attempts before success is achieved. Only the final test, by its very nature, requires first time execution. Once these tests have been passed then and only then can you call yourself a true master.