Sideswipe

A shopper from Howick writes: "The item today about the clamped disabled parkers at Botany Town Centre falls under the "two sides to every story" category. It is most frustrating for prospective parkers to cruise for an unacceptable amount of wasted time. Worse is that there are rows and rows of unoccupied spots marked 'disabled'. There are many ways to be 'disabled'. For example as a member of the 'sandwich generation', meanwhile I have struggled with grandchildren in baby-buggies and grandparents on walking-frames. I do not qualify as disabled but notice others with their mobility cards who just bounce in and out of their cars like athletes. I think at Botany the 'disabled' could share with 'new mums'. A study found that the 'disabled' spots were occupied only 10 per cent of the time at Howick's main shopping area, so the shopping management did the sensible thing and eliminated some to free space for the disadvantaged 'normal' shoppers."

* * *

The Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox snubbed Orlando Bloom at a film premiere in London. When he asked for her autograph she allegedly told him: "I just want a quiet night. Please leave me alone and get a life." A witness told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "It was like watching a car crash unfold. Nobody could understand why she was being so rude to Orlando. It was difficult to believe she didn't know who he was. He's been in almost every blockbuster this year. But it turns out she genuinely thought he was an unusually good-looking fan. She must have been living under a rock for the past few years." Annie was said to be horrified when she realised her embarrassing mistake and rushed over to apologise. What makes it worse for Lennox is that she wrote the Oscar-winning song Into the West from The Return of the King.

* * *

A Thai man suspected of killing his wife with a cobra to cash in on her eight million baht ($291,400) life insurance policy has turned himself in to authorities. Nired Ngamdee, 49, denied he had arranged for a cobra to bite his wife, Monrey Feungfoo, 51, in November, and then given her painkillers instead of rushing her to hospital. Shortly after Monrey's death, Nirid tried to collect on the policy he had taken out one month before. Finanza Nationwide Insurance Company refused to pay, finding the circumstances somewhat suspicious, and asked police to investigate.