Sideswipe

The dragon tattoo stolen from Ataia.

Ataia, a new tattoo outfit in Monmouth Rd, Newton, is looking for a thief - a cheeky punter who stole a Chinese dragon tattoo, like the one above, to match the one he already had on his calf. He was super-friendly and chatted to the artists for the three hours it took to painstakingly ink his left arm with the masterpiece. He even offered to find them timber for some signs - maybe he's a builder? When it came to paying up, the guy, who is stocky with short, dark hair, said he had to nip out and get the money from an ATM and he would leave his cellphone and keys with them. Sounded reasonable. They waited, but he didn't come back. On closer inspection, the owners realised the cellphone was a fake, not worth the plastic it was made of, and the keys were just a bunch of metal. They'd been scammed. Someone will recognise the tattoo the perp is wearing and may have information to help to track the guy down. Any tipoffs to 021-TATTOO.

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From a friendly neighbourhood cinema employee: "Your reader from Devonport who was turned away from the R13 film because his son didn't have ID needs a little more respect for that youth behind the counter. The police may not come in and check up, but one day your reader and his family will really be actors from TV3's hidden camera show Target. On that day, if the employee lets Dad vouch for his son's age he will promptly find himself a TV star, but out of a job and possibly facing a fine. Unlikely? Yes, but it does happen, so your reader should cut the kid some slack. He was merely trying to look after his job and obey the law."

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Asif Naim of Greenlane is a new migrant. He is a Pakistani who emigrated from the United Arab Emirates and had an unfortunate job interview experience. "I took my CV and told the person interviewing me that I have a bachelor's degree in economics and management, and I have completed a three-month computer course in advanced computer studies from the US. He nodded his head and then after a few questions, he asked me if I knew how to use the computer. I was dumbfounded. Then he asked me if I can show him how to open a document and shut down the computer. I just laughed at him and walked off thinking that either these Kiwis are ignorant or just plain stupid. Anyway, mates, open your eyes! We are here because the NZ Government had checked our qualifications and allowed us immigration. It took me two years to get the immigration. When I told my brother back home about this, he laughed and said, 'You should have gone to Canada."'

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The council spent $6 million on a nice, sandy beach at Kohimarama. There's also a nice boardwalk, lovely seating, a handy boat ramp, lush, green grass, but why no rubbish bins?