Sideswipe

The gates of Auschwitz read Arbeit Macht Frei - Work Makes You Free

Bob Clarkson has stumbled over Islamic ladies' clothes and likened gay pride parades to public nose-picking, but political ignorance is not the sole preserve of New Zealand politicians. In Italy, one politician used the "work makes you free" slogan that topped the gates at Auschwitz in a brochure to promote local job centres, saying he could not remember the source but was impressed by the quote. "Work makes you free. I don't remember where I read this but it was one of those quotes that have an instant impact on you because they tell an immense truth," he wrote in the pamphlet.

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The pilot of a Canadian airliner who went to the toilet during a flight found himself locked out of the cockpit, forcing the crew to remove the door from its hinges to let him back in, the airline said on Wednesday. The incident occurred aboard a trip from Ottawa to Winnipeg on Saturday operated by Air Canada's Jazz subsidiary. Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart said that with 30 minutes of the flight to go, the pilot went to the toilet, leaving the first officer in charge. But when he tried to get back into the cockpit, the door would not open. "The door malfunctioned ... this is a very rare occurrence," Stewart said, adding that the crew's decision to remove the door was in line with company policy. A report in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper said that for about 10 minutes "passengers described seeing the pilot bang on the door and communicating with the cockpit through an internal telephone, but being unable to open the door". Stewart said at no time had the plane or passengers been in danger.

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A caller to Leighton Smith's Newstalk ZB show yesterday shared how she had paid a bill at a Post Shop and then asked for the receipt to be stapled to the invoice. The teller explained, "We don't offer that service any more" due to "OSH regulations and RSI".

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Abstinence is an industry: A Purity Princess Survivor Kit for sale online contains 50 virginal items including the expected purity pledge card and abstinence card, valuable information on STDs and about "your worth as a girl created by God". But there are also vices such as nail enamel, a polka-dot shower cap and a dual make-up sharpener. To whom and when would you give such a gift? "Great for going off to college, the birthday girl or even a coming of age gift for when she finally gets her period."

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Mike reckons the Hyundai TV ad isn't responsible for a toddler trying to drive mummy's car out of the Mad Butcher's car park in Albany, and he has a story of his own: "Back in 1983 when I was two, I evaded my parents to play in their 1970-something Ford Falcon. (Can't say I remember any advertising at the time, but I probably saw Tom and Jerry drive the odd car.) I impressively managed to get the car into reverse and release the handbrake, sending it careering backwards down the steep drive, toward the busy road. However, my getaway was foiled by my dad sprinting around the house, and the neighbour vaulting the fence. Was I emulating something I saw on TV or my parents? Hyundai are responsible for this young girl playing with the levers in her mum's car as much as they are responsible for the destruction of rainforests and tea-bags splitting into your mug when you squeeze them a little too hard."

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Aucklander Iris Edwards' letter in the latest issue of the AA's Directions magazine will strike a chord with many older motorists and should give the big oil firms something to think about: "I am a pensioner and have dealt with only one petrol station for years. Recently I asked for the oil, water and air in the tyres to be seen to and was told no, that was a job for a mechanic. So I had to go elsewhere to get this job done. It cost me $40. Needless to say, I won't be going back to that petrol station."