Sideswipe: Jan 16: Advertising fail.

Advertising fail spotted at Dick Smith. Photo / Supplied

Just a wee exaggeration

Scar story: "As a teenager I got into a scrap with an articulated truck in my 1938 Morris 8 Convertible, losing not only my car but also a sizeable chunk of thigh," explains Sue. "In retaliation to the doctors telling me 'no bikini for me this summer', the first thing I purchased with my new-found figure was a bikini! And 45 years later when asked what happened to my leg, I still tell the same lie - shark bite! Much more exciting than a car accident!"

A city with a ... view

BBC shock jock Toby Foster must be insane when he says New Zealand is boring. Have you seen Auckland's top 14 tourist attractions, as visited by the Auckland Explorer Bus? You can go up Mt Eden and look at the view. Then you can go to Bastion Point and look at the view. Then you go up the Sky Tower and, er, look at the view. Let the fun and excitement begin! Other suggestions include a drive past Eden Park (because they don't have football stadiums in Europe), St Lukes Mall (no shopping malls either), and the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell (Europeans sure are going to be impressed by our old churches and cathedrals).

Damn hidden wolf instincts

Another dog lover writes: "Feeding dogs titbits from the table is a no-no, a very bad habit - it encourages hanging around, scrounging and stealing food from any source within reach. It doesn't know the difference between receiving small reward titbits for obedience, to being given them or food left anywhere. It is also wrong to treat it as a part of the family. It is not human, it is a dog, with deeply hidden wolf instincts, and can never be regarded as a child in a family. So dogs should only feed from their own bowl and though they are respected as family by being cared for, they should never be treated as a child in the family."

Cleaning what? Oh please!

A reader explains why feeding dogs at the table is unhygienic. "How do dogs clean their bottoms? With their tongues. What's licking your hand when you hand feed them? The same tongue that's just been cleaning arse. What are you touching with those hands? Table, cutlery, plates, cups, chair. What do the wait staff clear from the table? The same plates/cutlery/cups. This is revolting and is why animals are banned from food premises in NZ."