Sideswipe: Tall story

Rob noticed this high clothesline in Potters Park, Mt Eden, on Monday.

Incredible journey I

Bill Waring enjoyed the recent tale of the dog on the Harbour Bridge and offers this yarn: "It's the story of Billy Boyce from Whitikahu in the Waikato and the dog he sold to another farmer up north," he writes. "One day Billy Boyce called into our butcher shop in Taupiri (just south of Huntly) to purchase some meat for his dog before sending him off to another farmer near Dargaville. He got £10 for the dog - a good price considering a very good adult weekly wage in 1942 was £8. Around six weeks later, I saw a rather weary dog making his way past the shop. 'That's Billy Boyce's dog,' I said. I was the meat delivery boy and often recognised the working dogs belonging to the farming families who were our customers. The dog had already walked 270km from Dargaville and had another 20km to go to Whitikahu. However, a sale was a sale and Billy Boyce reluctantly sent the dog back to the purchaser by rail. A month later the dog turned up again at Boyce's back door. This time Billy returned the cheque and not the dog. The distance travelled was one thing, but considering the dog had to negotiate part of developing Auckland makes the story all the more remarkable."

Dry humour from Metrowater

A reader noted the NZ Herald headline on Tuesday - Floodwaters soak the North Island. Sure enough she found her backyard almost lake-like due to the very heavy rain on Monday. Later the same day she trotted out to her mailbox ... in it was a letter from Metrowater which read: "Due to the drought and decrease in water supplies our wholesale rates have increased [this] amount which will pass on to consumers." About time to invest in a freshwater tank I think, she says.

Incredible journey II

A man and a woman in Adelaide were trapped inside their new caravan when a thief drove off with it. The couple, in their 60s, were picking up their new caravan from a dealer. It was hooked up to their car and the couple were in the caravan with the sales manager for a final demonstration of its features but their keys were still in the car's ignition. Police say a man jumped in the car and sped off with all three people in the caravan. The thief dumped the car and caravan about three streets away and ran off. (Source: Ninemsn.com.au)

Health and safety gone mad?

Regarding the Site Traffic Management Supervisor worker pictured holding a barrier, this reader reckons: "On a high volume road like Ponsonby Rd, the STMS is not allowed to perform any other job on site except controlling traffic - this is to ensure proper attention is given to the task. That said, a cone would have been better used, or at least she could have been facing the pedestrians she was trying to keep safe."