Sideswipe

We've heard of food for thought, but isn't this going a bit far?

A reader writes: My wife has trained for the Auckland Half Marathon for the last six months. Race Day 05:10am: My wife leaves home for marathon, alas her car battery is flat. No problem. "You take my car. I will get the AA to jump start yours. The kids and I will see you at the finish line," I say.

I call the AA and give the helpful lady on the end of the line the sad story ... The conversation then goes as follows.

AA: I see the membership number you have entered is registered to a (my wife's name)

Me: Yes

AA : Is your wife with the vehicle?

Me : No, she has taken my car to the marathon.

AA : I'm sorry, sir, the member needs to be with the vehicle if we are to come out.

Me: She can't come back, she is driving to Devonport. The race starts at 06:30am.

AA: I'm sorry, sir, your wife needs to be there.

Me: That's ridiculous!

AA: Are you a member of the AA, sir?

Me: Yes (A Corporate Member for the last 13 years). I have a corporate membership with my company!

AA: That membership is specific to the vehicle registration number (my registration). Is that the vehicle with the flat battery?

Me: No, my wife has taken that car.

AA: I'm sorry sir we can only help start the vehicle with that specific registration number.

Me: You're joking?

My wife has been a member for 11 years and me for 13 years. We have used this AA service probably twice. I would say the AA are ahead on this one."

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Michael Yalland is curious why an overflowing North Shore City Council recycling wheely bin should be languishing in The Strand, Takapuna, full of rubbish for at least 10 days. "The bin is located within 50m of 3 major buildings of the NSCC - namely the main council chamber, the library and the Takapuna area office. Surely someone must have noticed it? As employees and advocates of recycling, maybe they should clean up their own back yard?"

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Halloween news: An Idaho animal shelter has banned black cat adoptions until November 2, fearing the animals could be mistreated in Halloween pranks - or worse, sacrificed in some satanic ritual. The shelter's executive director, Phil Morgan, said: "In the humane industry it's pretty typical that shelters don't do adoptions of black cats or white bunnies because of the whole satanic sacrificial thing. If we prevent one animal from getting hurt, then it serves its purpose."

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There's a lot of money, and publicity, to be made in finding things in your food: Not far away from where the infamous Wendy's finger-in-the-chilli hoax was perpetrated last year, a woman has found what appears to be a finger in her Subway sandwich. According to the Museum of Hoaxes, health inspectors did not find that any staff had lost a digit, but the half-inch piece has been sent to a lab for testing. A spokesman for Subway has said, "the Subway restaurant chain takes every customer comment seriously. We don't know what the foreign object is yet."