Sideswipe: That was some earthquake

Photo / Supplied

This photo (right) was taken at a trade show in Guangzhou, last week, by Paul Armistead. It was part of a world map put together by a Malaysian company. "Maybe the earthquake was a little bigger than we thought!" he adds.

Coffee customer from hell

Real stories from the frontline of customer service: A female customer has just left a coffee shop in California after receiving her order.

She returns, extremely agitated. Customer: "My phone is missing!"

Shop assistant: "Did you leave it in the store?"

Customer: "Of course not! I'm not stupid. It was in my car!"

Shop assistant: "I'm sorry no one's turned in a phone."

(The customer then searches all over the not-exactly-large shop, including overturning the wastebasket in the restroom and questioning other patrons. Meanwhile, the shop assistant takes her rather expensive touch-screen phone to check the time.)

Customer: "Hey, that's my phone!"

Shop assistant: "No, it's not. It's mine."

Customer: "Don't lie to me! People who work someplace like this can't afford phones like that! Is that why you made my order take so long? So you could steal my phone?"

Shop assistant: "Are you saying while your coffee was being made, I snuck out the back door, ran around the building, found your car in the parking lot, broke in, stole your phone, and got back in time to help the next customer in line?"

Customer: "So you admit it! I'm calling the police!"

(Source: NotAlwaysRight.com)

Comical end to election law

A 1997 election law in Brazil makes it illegal to "degrade or ridicule" political candidates or their parties, making their election not nearly as lively as in the US. However after a protest in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian comedians, the vice-president of the Supreme Court acquiesced and suspended the law as unconstitutional. (Source: News of the Weird)

Thanks, angels in disguise

A grateful reader writes: "My heartfelt thanks to those angels in disguise who helped me out when I broke my ankle in a pothole in Crowhurst St, Newmarket on Saturday. To the lady who cradled me and called the ambulance when I passed out with the pain and to the gentleman who gathered my scattered belongings and made sure that my car parked in a 60-minute spot didn't get a ticket and whose contact details somehow got lost. It meant more to me than you will know. Thanks also to the ambulance drivers who were wonderfully kind and reassuring."

Today's Webpick: This time-lapse of rotting food will put you off your lunch... Go here and scroll down to watch.

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