Sideswipe: Give no quarter

As advertised at The Warehouse Newmarket. Photo / Supplied

As advertised at The Warehouse in Newmarket. 25% off... but apparently not.

The WOF my mother could do
Darren writes: I've just gone in to do my warrant of fitness at highly recommended and renowned VTNZ. At the end, the man ushers me to my car and tells me it's a fail. I ask him why and am obviously angry because the last thing you need at the festive season are bills to pay for the car. He then goes on to point out the problems:

1. Your headlights are dirty

2. Your belt clicker on the back seat is missing and

3. Your boot is too messy.

I stared at him blankly to see if he was being serious. No doubt, he was. I proceed to fix everything in front of him. I wiped the headlight with a tissue, showed him that if he had bothered to move the T-shirt covering the clicker he would've found that it was there, and, shifted the mess from the boot to the backseat!!! Pretty much no difference. He looks blankly at me and then my car and says: "Ah well, yeah ... I guess that's a pass then."

C'mon VTNZ, I just want to know if my car is still fit to be on the road! I didn't pay $50 to have you tell me it's a fail because it's messy and dirty. My mum can tell me that.

Wheelie bin wheels made to last
Tycho responds to the picture in yesterday's Sideswipe with the wheelie bin tied behind the car: I can answer the question that is posed with "Yes!" Unfortunately no picture, but I once saw a small ute with a bin attached in exactly the same way, coming down the Bombay hills at approximately 100km/h.

The (mean) spirit of Christmas
The Christmas Grinch lives on ... My friend attended a children's Christmas party at Patts Park in Glendene, only to be abused by a homeowner while she was taking three children (all under 5) out of her car. Apparently she was "blocking their driveway". But the Grinch didn't even use her driveway, just the phone to call the police and council, who then issued a $40 parking fine. We hope you have the lovely Christmas you deserve.

Seeking two good Samaritans
Russell is looking for a couple of good Samaritans: To the two guys that kindly helped me on the Southern Motorway just past Mt Wellington on Wednesday afternoon. When my white Toyota Corolla broke down, they stopped the traffic so we could push the car off the motorway and out of the way in rush hour traffic. One drove a light-coloured Nissan four-wheel-drive that blocked the lane, the other was in a dark Honda Accord. I have a gift for you both, please contact Sideswipe.

Today's Webpick: One articulate Irishman explains the demise of the Celtic Tiger (the Irish economy)...Warning: colourful language. Go here.

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