An earlier version of this article carried the headline "paddy wagon", a term that many people find offensive. We apologise for this.
White paint damage proving expensive
A reader writes: "Driving on Te Atatu Rd towards the motorway at 5.30pm on Wednesday April 1, I unwittingly drove my car through a white paint spill outside the All Seasons Caltex Station. Arriving home 30 minutes later I was horrified to see the left hand side of my stationwagon covered with white paint! To repair the extensive panel damage I am now up for a $500 insurance excess and loss of my no claims bonus through no fault of my own. If anyone witnessed who was responsible for the paint spill please let me know. It would be much appreciated."
Shop assistant cuts customer down to size
"I knew as soon as I picked up the spotted shirt in the Ponsonby recycled designer clothes shop that this would happen," writes a reader. "'I bet she will point me to where the bigger sizes are,' I thought, looking at the retail assistant. Sure enough, while still on the phone, the mature, fashionable woman scrunched her nose and said, 'that's really quite small', and tilted her head sympathetically. Flushed with anger I gave her the death stare and thrust my finger toward my petite mother, still lingering at the bargain rack in the doorway and said: 'It's for my mother. I can read the label. And I am well aware I'm not a size 8-10.' Humiliated, I quickly left. Yip, I felt like crying. Not because it happened, but because I saw it coming a mile off."
Peacock on the lam
"In the 80s, after a somewhat 'colourful' youth, I was now settling down and at university in Hamilton," writes Janet Peters. "I had gone up to Auckland for a Saturday night, staying with my best friend Adrienne. We had a HUGE night watching music, had a drink or five, then had gone to bed, somehow leaving the back door open - I was sleeping on the sofa in the lounge. When I woke up there was a peacock standing in the room! 'Woah' I thought, 'I'm having a flashback to the 70s! Eek!' But it turned out the neighbours had a few friendly peacocks and this one had merely walked in out of curiosity."
Say my name
This from a young woman photographed for the Humans of New York project: "Sometimes I hate my name because it always draws attention to me, and I'm not a very social person. My family moved this year from Pennsylvania. I was so scared the first day of school that someone would notice me. I wouldn't even adjust my seat because I thought it would make a noise. One time I really had to cough, but I held it in. When the teacher started calling attendance, I got really nervous, because every time people learn my name is Beyonce, somebody starts singing Single Ladies. And some did, of course. But the second day of school wasn't too bad. Because everyone knew my name."
