Sideswipe: April 13: Some people resist control

"A notice on our fridge door from the Fridge Police, with subsequent embellishments by people who perhaps resist being controlled!"

Million dollar question

Q: You're given a locked briefcase containing $1 million. You have 15 minutes to hide it, everyone nearby knows you've hidden it and will look for it. If it stays hidden for 24 hours, it's yours. Where do you hide it?

1. "Same place my little sister won hide n' seek in when we were kids before we figured it out. Took a long time. Shift the mattress a fraction, slide it in near the headboard and make the bed."

2. "Depends when exactly I'm given the briefcase, but I live near tidal mud flats, so I'd bury it as deep as I can where the tide is going to cover it. I'd need a digger and some trial and error to recover it after the 24 hours, but no one is uncovering the whole flat in that time and the water will erase any signs I was there."

3. "In a rubbish bin, but under a brand new bin liner . I'm pretty sure at least someone would take a look in there, see an empty bin liner, and then think it was empty."

4. "I'd hide it in front of my mother so that she gets the money. I assume the others get the money if they find it, otherwise why would anyone look for it."

5. "Okay, so I go to a store that sells briefcases and I hide it in the back, under a stack of a bunch of other ones."

6. "Disguise yourself as a Mormon missionary and walk around the neighbourhood with a huge smile carrying the briefcase and a bible. Everyone will stay inside and refuse to come out!"

7. "The only one nearby is my wife. If I hide it somewhere in her purse I'm a millionaire."

8. "Address it up, stamps, post it to myself. Once NZ Post gets hold of that case, ain't no one ever gonna see it again!"

9. "Page two of Google ... Nobody looks there."

"Another day in Wellington. Another umbrella's life abruptly cut short," tweets @2Tapu.

Turn left, turn left, turn left ...

With Google Maps on hand, we really don't need to know how to navigate the old-fashioned way, like with a map and a willingness to ask for directions. Ah, wrong. Placing too much trust in your map app could get you in a whole lot of trouble. In 2017, 24-year-old Amber VanHecke had started out on a solo trip to the Grand Canyon. In the middle of the Arizona desert, she noticed that she only had 112km worth of petrol left in the tank. Not an issue, as her Google Maps reassured her that she was only 56km away from a major road. Trusting Google, she obediently followed the app to bring her safely to civilisation. Instead, Google told her to turn onto a completely nonexistent road, which led her to a nonexistent spot on the map. And then she ran out of petrol. VanHecke spent five days in the desert before help arrived. (Source: cracked.com)