Sideswipe: March 2: Comfortable with his masculinity

Comfortable with his masculinity: Full leathers? Check. Grunty motorbike? Check. Barbie backpack? Check. (snapped out west in the Super City).

Greece is the word

Overheard on a bus: Two teenage girls talking about one girl's recent OE: Teen 1: "So, how was Greece?" Teen 2: "Oh, it was cool, but there's like, NO culture over there, it was just 'party party, party'."

Unfashionably priced shoes

William from Remuera writes: "We all know the price of shoes in NZ is unbelievably high. For example, Asics running shoes retail for $200 in NZ, on sale $130. Same pair purchased in a US department store NZ$35. Are the retailers here making a killing, or are the importers?"

Teddy wings it from Newmarket

"At 7.30am we left our caged cockatiel on the deck of a third floor apartment in Newmarket, not noticing one door was partly open. The bird winged it so we left the open cage on the deck hoping he would find his way back. The next morning we looked closely and realised it wasn't our cockatiel in the cage. So if you have found a dark grey bird (Teddy) who can wolf whistle and sing the Colonel Bogey March in trills, and you're missing a light grey cockatiel, please contact Sideswipe."

An offal way to serve lunch

A reader writes: "Patients in England's Plymouth Hospital many years ago were enjoying lunch when one lady pushed her plate away with an audible 'ugh' ... Asked if something was wrong she replied that she was enjoying the steak and kidney pie until she remembered she was having one of hers removed the next day. I don't think any of us finished our meal."

Don't stand for it, make a stand

A reader recalls some year ago a Foodtown checkout operator's T-shirt unsettling customers with its "**** JESUS" lettering. When the manager said there was nothing he could do, the reader gently suggested to the young man that in future he might like to wear the T-shirt around the house rather than in public places. "Perhaps predictably, I suffered a torrent of abuse but I will never forget the gratitude on the faces of the regular customers. Sometimes we need to make a stand."