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'It pays to be careful when getting directions from the Maxx website,' says Richard Finley. 'The bus route's ok, but the suggested walking route looks a little dangerous! I didn't even suggest travelling late on Saturday night.'
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Amanda Care had an shocking experience in Auckland City this weekend. "I was leaving a bar on Fort Lane at 2.30am on Saturday night after being out with friends celebrating my birthday and no taxis in the taxi rank would take me back to my friend's apartment in Ponsonby, because the fare was too low. I'm thinking it would have been approx $15-$20. I was sober (thank God) and I ended up walking on my own in the rain, in a little dress all the way to my friend's apartment on my own. I think this is disgusting behaviour from the cab companies and will be laying a complaint. To let a young female walk by herself, in the rain, at that time of the night is disgusting."
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The credit crunch is causing much consternation, but there are upsides for some businesses. In Britain lunchbox sales have leaped 68 per cent as workers stop buying their lunches in favour of homemade food instead. It is estimated that switching to homemade sandwiches for lunch saves around £2 ($5.30) a day - equivalent to a monthly saving of £40 ($106) for a full-time worker. The chimney sweep business is also booming. Waiting times for sweeps are stretching into months and many are hiring extra staff to cope with the demand from customers trying to save cash on energy bills. And the film Mamma Mia! has been named the highest-grossing British film ever, which according to the Mail Online is all down to the credit crunch. "The exuberant happiness of the Abba film is thought to be one of the key reasons for its success - particularly during the current credit crunch."
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A reader points out that the gun shop in Penrose on which Act leader Rodney Hide stuck his "no tolerance on crime" billboard is the one that has been targeted in two attempted hold-ups. "So I guess it made sense to locals," he says.
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Today's Webpick: Heidi Klum cavorting in her underwear and socks a-la-Tom-Cruise, re-enacting the famous scene out of Risky Business. Watch it here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
