Clayton Pinkney came across this terrifying scene at work. Terrifying because that's his car on the left! "The driver thought I was over-reacting when I told her that her parking sucked," he says. Remarkably there was no damage.
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If you think knighthoods are a step back for New Zealand, how about elite private schools, which, a reader alleges, are introducing some old-fashioned rules and regulations. "Students will be given detentions if their top buttons are not buttoned-up - funny considering half the male teachers walk around with ties a-dangling - daily checks of length of the hoops on shoelace knots and surprise garter checks. Singlets are also banned underneath school shirts and students will be denied meals if any masters find that the boys have hair so long it touches their collars or if girls show their shoulders, on any day of the week." Is this your school? Email Sideswipe.
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Peter Parkinson writes: "What is happening? It's still August and the large pohutukawa tree in Victoria Park at the intersection of Halsey and Fanshawe Sts is already in bloom!"
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The lowest grade in the Canadian education system has always been an F, but Simon Fraser University in British Columbia is introducing a grade of FD - meaning failure with dishonesty. Dr Rob Gordon, chairman of the senate committee on academic integrity, says the new grading is intended to curtail cheating using the internet.
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Jacqui Tobin writes: "How does Estelle Seaman think turtles feed in the wild? They don't have someone come and open a tin for them. They actually eat real live fish! Careful publishing this information though - it may damage our children for life!"
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Roger Blake from Ngatea Water Gardens explains why they were feeding the turtle live fish and says if Estelle Seaman had not proceeded to threaten the manager, she might have been blessed with a full explanation of what she saw. "In the small pond mentioned, fish are normally killed before being fed to turtles. However, the turtles semi-hibernate over winter, during which time they stop eating. Approaching spring, rather than kill fish daily to be left floating in the pond uneaten (causing needless loss of life and smelly ponds), a live 'test fish' is introduced to monitor when the turtles regain their appetite. It was unfortunate Estelle visited the day the turtles un-hibernated. In the main ponds, turtles catch their own fish live. Oh the cruelty of nature!"
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View today's Herald cartoon
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<i>Sideswipe:</i> How's your parallel parking then?
Moya Michalakis of Manukau saw this titbit advertised outside Phoenix Takeaways, Manurewa.
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