Alistair Young spotted this on that big road in central Auckland that runs down to the university.
Councils' roading folly
Welsh officials are under fire for building a Cardiff bicycle lane just 2.4m long. The local council spent £2000 ($4340) on the lane, which it insists will encourage "green" transportation. A Dorset council has introduced a 2m wide cycle lane that leaves just 1.4m for cars, lorries and buses to squeeze through. Jonathan Mears, a 39-year-old architect who lives nearby, said: "It's utterly ridiculous. The cycle lane is wide enough to stage the Tour de France".
Barbecue pants
A 51-year-old shoplifter in Cairns was witnessed by security staff putting three limes and a package of beef tongue in his pants. When cornered, the man also pulled out two onions, three trays of rump steaks and a packet of lamb chops. (Source: Cairns Post)
Water conservation
"The big Watercare advertisement in yesterday's Herald about conserving water suggests that we wash cars once a month as a minimum!" observes David from Rotorua. "Wonder if they meant maximum!"
Strange creatures of the night
The average British adult doesn't go to bed until 11.41pm on week nights. A survey of more than 3000 people found over the past three years that bedtime has been put back 54 minutes. Hectic work schedules, busy lifestyles and money worries are said to be the main reason. Nearly half of people are still up at midnight, one in 10 are still awake at 1am and 55 per cent fell asleep on the sofa at least twice a week.
Dob-a-driver is dangerous ...
The Dob-in-a-Driver campaign should be stopped, says a reader. "Certainly it is in the public interest to stop drunken, or dangerous drivers, but it is too easy for someone to misinterpret another driver's intentions ... The scheme is one driver's word against the other, where aggrieved drivers can 'get even' and the police seem to take the word of the complainant."
... and this is why
"If a driver is accused wrongly under the Community Road Watch Programme, would they be entitled to sue the accuser for defamation?" writes Rihari of Blockhouse Bay. "I was accused of doing a runner without paying for fuel in Papatoetoe. Luckily I could prove I was in Taupo."
Son of Sideswipe
It's a sequel: The second Sideswipe book is out later this year and if you have a picture you've been meaning to send and would like it considered for the book, now is the time to fire it off. Funny, ironic or just plain strange pictures taken by you are what we're after. Please email ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz.
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Today's Webpick: Drunken Germans: Fascinating documentary footage of the 60s drinking culture in Germany. Go here.
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