The case of the jogging policemen
"Did anyone else in Grey Lynn witness the bizarre spectacle of six or seven uniformed police officers jogging in formation along Beaconsfield St, Grey Lynn, and then into Williamson Ave in the wee small hours of Sunday morning?" asks a reader.
"We were woken by shouting and banging in the street at around 2 or 3am, so peeked out the window in time to see ... Auckland's finest jogging along our street. Not chasing down a band of unruly youths. Not sprinting across front lawns ... But jogging sedately, silently, in a very straight line ... It was completely surreal ... Does anyone know what they might have been doing?"
Slingshot misses the mark
Morgan Skinner writes: "On Tuesday May 11, I rang Slingshot advising them we were moving out of our house on June 5 and we wanted to cancel our phone and internet service. They informed me this would happen only on June 13 as this is our billing period. Thursday night, May 13 - no more internet! Several hours on hold to Slingshot on Friday, including a hang-up ... Plead emergency as we are moving to Sydney in four weeks and are trying to rent out house. internet reconnected on Friday night - hooray! Sunday midday - no more internet. More than two hours on hold: 'We may be able to reconnect at end of week, you are lucky we don't charge you the $200 reconnection fee, you can't have your old plan back but we can sign you up to a (worse) deal at the same price, no compensation, you have to pay for the full month of May 13-June 13 regardless of whether you have the services you are paying for."'
Spare a dollar for the wealthy
Ann French had parked "my small car in Devonport Rd in Tauranga the other day, when a very large SUV pulled up next to me. I had just paid the parking meter when I heard the driver ask: 'Do you have to pay for parking here?' Dressed well and draped in jewellery, she was an elegant figure and I replied that 'yes, you did'. 'I don't have any money,' she said. 'Have you got some?' Because I'm an idiot and was somewhat overwhelmed, I handed over a dollar, which she took, got her ticket and walked off without a word. Which is why she has an enormous SUV and I have a very small car, I suppose".
Flooded cars get parking tickets
In York, England, a torrential rainfall caused the River Ouse to overflow. Three cars parked near the river bank were flooded, but as soon as the waters subsided a parking enforcement official slapped tickets on them. City officials say if the owners can prove the cars had been caught in the flood, they'll waive the tickets. (Source: Reason.com)
Today's Webpick: A fantastic compilation of BBC blunders - failed autocues, giggling fits and tantrums. Go here.
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