Sideswipe: Saves time

Saves time. Photo / Supplied

Memories of Bombay thrills

There is nothing new under the sun, according to this reader. "Sixty-one years ago my brother-in-law hurtled down the Bombay Hills in his homemade trolley. Then known as the Deviation, the road was more hazardous than it is today, with daring trolley riders having to negotiate several very tricky bends on their way down. Once, a 10-year-old boy hurtled past a car. The driver, a local, knew the boy and reported the incident to his mother, who warmed the young man's rear, as was normal procedure in the dark old days."

Buckle bargain

"A seatbelt buckle in our Volvo recently failed," says a reader. "My husband called the authorised Auckland Volvo dealer for a new buckle. No stock, unfortunately ... but they could bring one in from Sweden for $1000. Put off by the price, we emailed a Volvo dealer in England. They could not supply a replacement buckle on its own, but offered a complete genuine Volvo seatbelt which would include the buckle. Cost, including shipping to New Zealand? $165. There is no question we are being ripped off in New Zealand."

Online the key

Rich says the readers feeling ripped off by car dealerships might like to know that ebay.co.uk has hundreds of key-type gadgets, and all the whizz-bang electronic malarkey that goes with them, at rock bottom prices even after factoring in the exchange rate and postage.

"I've kept my old Audi, and the lady friend's even older Peugeot, running good as gold on eBay parts. Best of all, I find, is that unbeatable feeling of smugness you get from knowing you are not adding to the piles of loot that all those dealership pirates are hauling in."

Fines over obscure lines

Phil Tetley-Jones has had the same experience as Jane with Tournament Parking, this time in the semi-derelict Greys Ave building. "A 'fine' for parking over barely visible lines obscured by dirt and autumn leaves? I now avoid this company's facilities and advise all others to do the same."

Dead end for Elvis auction

A Chicago auction house has cancelled the sale of tools allegedly used to embalm Elvis Presley after a dispute between a retired embalmer and a Memphis funeral home.

The items, including the John Doe toe tag allegedly attached to Presley at the hospital, rubber gloves, forceps and other tools used to prepare the body, will be returned to Memphis Funeral Home, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers announced on Friday. As part of the contract for the auction, the identity of the embalmer has not been disclosed. The items had been expected to fetch around $10,995.