Sideswipe: March 16: Sixty six hour detour

"Road between Kununurra and Broome is closed due to flooding, shown is the closest detour on paved roads," writes Young Ferg on Reddit.

Pizza pandemic delivery

With the concern of possible transmission of the virus to the pizza, the Japanese branches of Pizza Hut decided to create this new option for their delivery service: Oki Pizza, which comes from the Japanese word "oku", which means "to put" or "to place". The Oki Pizza aims to minimise any possible physical contact or breathing on each other between customer and delivery person by having the delivery person place your order on the ground and back away before you open the door to pick it up. (Via SOraNews24.com)

Coronavirus thoughts ...

1. Movies lied about how the fall of civilisation would happen. They promised zombies and car chases with trucks covered in spikes but really it's just working from home and singing happy birthday to yourself as you wash your hands.

2. The real winner of this pandemic are the dogs, who will be experiencing unprecedented levels of People Being Home.

3. To the young guy in the supermarket just now asking his friend, "Why are all the shelves so empty?" I salute your commitment to blissful ignorance.

Test of character

Peter Lyons writes: "I am nearly blind. My old man is totally blind and hanging on to life by a thread. And we are likely about to endure a nasty pandemic. That's life. Deal with it. How we deal with hardship defines us as individuals. To think you will get through life unscathed is laughable. It is the fake mirage of modern consumer marketing and social media. It is how we deal with hardship that defines us as individuals. It is what truly shapes our character. We are about to be challenged. How we respond, and how we treat others during difficult times, defines our true character."

Complaints from dissatisfied holidaymakers

A reader writes: "While working for a major airline at Auckland International Airport, a passenger turned up without his passport. When sent to the ticket desk to pay date-change fees, he tried to blame the airline for not stating on their website that a passport was required."