Sideswipe: December 19: Disgusting seating

Photo / Supplied

"This is the seating at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal we were forced to use at lunchtime, due to no other seating being available in the food area," writes Graham, outraged. "Great to hear the airport company is making large profits but this seating is simply disgusting!"

What untruth did you believe for the longest time?

1. When I was a kid, I didn't know the difference between guerrillas and gorillas. So when I watched the news in the evenings, I thought there was a war going on in Central America between humans and gorillas. Planet of the Apes was on TV at the time.

2. Dad convinced me as a child that Motorhead was the name of one of Santa's reindeer.

3. Until I was 14 I thought the UK Government actually had a Ministry of Sound. It didn't seem unreasonable. They had ones for culture and sport.

4. When I was about 5 my mother told me my dad (Brian) was really named Briangelo (like Michelangelo) and I believed her for years. It lasted so long because she told me not to talk about it as it embarrassed him.

5. My parents told me David Bowie was my godfather. They had a picture of my mum and him together. I totally believed them, told my friends at school. Then I realised I haven't been baptised so he couldn't be. I didn't tell people for years, and then when he died someone sent me condolences and I had to fess up. I felt like a proper dick.

6. My big brother convinced me your appendix was your testicles. For years, whenever I heard someone was getting their appendix removed, I thought they were getting their balls removed. It gets worse. When I was about 10 a girl in my class was away from school getting her appendix out. This led to an even dumber rationalisation that girls had testicles, but no penis. (Source: reddit.com)

Heartwarming sequel to burglary

A reader writes: "I arrived home to find my front door in splinters. I'd had a visit from burglars. I had to have it fixed before I went to bed, so rang Hire A Hubby. A very nice young man worked for hours to fix my door and make it safe for me, while all the while I am thinking how am I going to pay for this. When he was done I asked how much I owed him and he said: 'You look like you have been through enough, so forget it.' I am in my 80s on super and I will never forget his kindness."

No wonder costs are escalating

Photo / Supplied

"In a quiet cul-de-sac where it's lucky if six cars a day go in or out, a safety lollipop man is employed for many days to hold the stick while his mates repair a footpath," writes Alan Gray. "Bored out of his tree. No wonder costs of council works are escalating."

Video: Why Small Pleasures Are a Big Deal...

Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz