Sideswipe: February 26 - Postal confusion

A 59 or 54? Photo / Supplied

"Just had a letter returned to me after almost three weeks with NZ Post," writes a reader. "Apparently the postman thought the address said 59 Opaheke Rd when it was supposed to say 54 Opaheke Rd. So rather than delivering to either of those addresses, he marked it as needing confirmation, and then after two weeks of it sitting in their offices and despite all of my contact details being listed on the back, they returned it to me. When I called in to ask what the issue was their team leader told me there's no way the number on the envelope looks like a '4' and that it looks like a '9' so she can see why the postie was confused. Again, I still can't see why if it so clearly says 59 he didn't just deliver to 59 ... I don't think it looks like 59 and started wondering what people outside of NZ Post thought. Out of 52 Facebook friends' responses not one person thought it looked like a 9. Still now four weeks, four calls and around two hours on hold since I originally tried to get the letter posted from one Auckland suburb to another, I am still waiting for the service that I've paid for to be delivered."

Mum one-liners

"Back in about 1974, we were all at the dinner table with one of my mum's brothers, who worked for Telecom and had come up to the 'big smoke' of Auckland for a conference. When mum delivered pudding to the table I didn't like the look of it and blurted out 'What's that?' — she replied, 'You can either eat it or wear it'. I'm sure you can see the look of horror on my mum's face when I put my pudding bowl on my head and the stunned look on my uncle's face. Mum made me finish the bowl, hairs and all."

The transplant problem solved

Photo / Supplied

Saving paper on receipts

A Westmere reader is puzzled that the automated voice at Countdown's self-service checkouts ask you whether you wish to print a receipt only if you spend less than $20. His suggestion that you should be offered the option every time fell on deaf ears. The marketing team offered the rather lame observation that the paper is recyclable, apparently unaware that you don't have to recycle something that never gets produced. Receipts have long since ceased being petrol discount vouchers, so surely they should only be issued when shoppers select "yes". The daily savings in consumable expenses, never mind the litter reduction, would be massive.

Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz