KEY POINTS:
A reader writes about an experience escorting a disabled friend to the New World supermarket at Victoria Park. "As we pulled up to the car park, there were no handicap spots left. So we pulled into the 'Cars with Children' area.
A gentleman loading his overly large vehicle with children and groceries shouted "what about the next people who pull in with kids?" and we told him we had a card for handicapped parking. He said that didn't count. According to the large book that accompanies the card, it does. Handicapped vehicles can legally park in the 'unloading children' parks.
When we returned 10 minutes later from shopping a note was on our back windscreen. The gentleman's concern for the handicapped was overwhelming. What was really funny ... was that the guy's phone number and name of his business was on the piece of paper he'd used. So when we got home, we called.
As it was Sunday the business, a bar in Sandringham, was closed, but the message helpfully provided the mobile phone number of the owner. Now, my friend, who is legitimately handicapped in several ways, found it difficult to let the situation go, phoned him and gave him an earful. The man said 'This is an abusive phone call' and hung up."
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Here are the top 10 most fuel-efficient cars in America, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy's fuel economy guidebook.
10. Honda Fit (manual)
9. Toyota Corolla (manual)
8. Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD, Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD, Mazda Tribute Hybrid 4WD
7. Toyota Yaris (automatic)
6. Toyota Yaris (manual)
5. Toyota Camry Hybrid
4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD, Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD, Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid
2. Honda Civic Hybrid
1. Toyota Prius (hybrid-electric)
(For the biggest gas guzzlers go to Consumerist.com)
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A list of the 10 most bizarre scientific papers includes subjects like "Calculations on Avian Defecation", "The Effect of Country Music on Suicide" and the enlightening "Safe and Painless Manipulation of Penile Zipper Entrapment" by Satish Chandra Mishra. "Entrapment of penile foreskin is quite a distressing situation for the child and the parents and can be a frustrating management problem. Any overzealous intervention would simply worsen the situation ... The approach to the zipper manipulation should be quick, simple, non-traumatic and reproducible irrespective of the age of the child, mechanism and site of entrapment, presence of the local edema and zipper size or design." (Source: Neatorama.com)
Today's Video Webpick: Petrol heads will love watching these buses belt around a Michigan race track as a warm up to the main event. Watch it here. These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
