Sideswipe: May 29: Steak sneakers

This steak on the run makes for a rare pair of sneakers.

Insane coincidences

"I once stopped to help a guy change a tyre," writes Ryan Fernandez. "He had an arm in a sling and two very young kids in his car. He thanked me saying he didn't want to hurt his arm any more and wanted to get back to work. Fast forward three months and I'm in a very ugly motorcycle wreck. One of the paramedics noticed my back was broken. Had they continued I'd have been paralysed. After I recovered I got to meet the crew that saved my life.The guy that noticed my back was broken? The guy whose tyre I had changed." (Source: quora.com)

The power of suggestion

On Friday night Monique parked at Sylvia Park and did a double-take when she saw a woman sitting very still in the car next to me. "She was facing the back of the car and not blinking or moving a muscle. I was terrified, thinking I had better call the police ... But when I got closer I saw it was just a mannequin. It was a real coincidence as my partner had just told me to be careful in the car park at night and we had seen an episode of Criminal Minds where a woman was kidnapped in a car park, then given a drug that paralysed her so she could not move, then dressed up as a doll!"

Tips on tipping

A reader writes: "Having been a waiter in NZ including during both America's Cup challenges (with rather exceptional tips!) any good waiter would know to pass a portion of tips on to the kitchen. Forget to place an order? Chef will be happy to put you at the front of the queue. Not only good for morale, but customer special requests are likely to get done. Which helps get better tips. Everyone wins."

Vanishing cat's eye snails

Last week Paul Milner of Algies Bay told Sideswipe there didn't seem to be as many cat's eye snails on Auckland beaches as there used to be in the 80s. Several readers, including Warwick Thompson of Milford, suggested it was because new immigrants were harvesting them for food. Some readers were upset Thompson's opinion was even published and suggested it was "immigrant bashing" and that those comments had a "racist undertone". Really? Dr Andrew Jeff, a University of Auckland marine scientist, explains his take: "It is quite likely they have disappeared off rocky reefs around Auckland from harvesting, but there may be other likely causes like increasing pollution and sedimentation."