Sideswipe: Aug 2: Hardly professional

Photo / Supplied

A reader writes: "I cringed when I read the headline for this Beach Haven property for sale. The agents thought they were being clever but just come off sounding like judgmental ****s."

Dem bones deemed OK

A car was pulled over in Plattling, Germany, when police officers saw it was being driven by a skeleton. The driver, a 23-year-old Brit, told police he'd snapped up the plastic life-size model at a local flea market but strapped it into his front passenger seat because he thought it would be damaged in the boot. A police spokesman said: "It was only when we stopped the car that we realised it was a British right-hand-drive car - and the skeleton was therefore in the passenger seat ... it is not illegal to have a plastic skeleton in your car."
(Source: Neatorama.com)

Made Up Stats

1. It is estimated that a quarter of life's pleasurable moments involve cheese in some capacity.
2. Men who can name more than five different fonts are twice as likely to be single.
3. It appears that 1 in 3 young people now "rock" items of clothing instead of "wearing" them.
4. It is estimated there are only 30 people alive who know all the words to Come On Eileen.

(Follow @MadeUpStats on Twitter for more)

Distress at the carwash

"Just wondering if any readers know of a good carwash, as I'm sick of the ones at BP and Mobil that are practically useless," writes a car-proud bloke, who was able to wipe a handful of dirt off his car afterwards. "And it's not like I go off-roading. It failed to even remove the muddy paw-prints my cat left. And it cost $16."

Parents on decay detail

New York has approved a bill requiring warning labels on sippy cups and baby bottles. The bill was pushed by the state dental association which claims that allowing kids to continually sip fruit juice or milk can cause tooth decay. "I can show you photos of children who go to bed with sippy cups," said the Dental Association spokesman. "All you see is little black stumps which is all that is left of the teeth."

(reason.com)

Fees lurk everywhere

Methuselah speaks the truth: "Cheques etc may be for old timers, but being a tech savvy young 'un has not helped me save any money. Online banking, pffft, there are fees hidden everywhere. It's a bank, they always have their hands in your pockets. I've found all banks do it, but I'm not yet ready to become a nut stashing cash at home."

Pool off the hook

Peter writes about the brochure left on the windscreen for Glen Innes Aquatic Centre. "Your correspondent is actually right - the bylaw doesn't apply to Auckland Council. The relevant bylaw is Solid Waste, clause 22.13, relating to Unsolicited Mail. The provisions prohibiting unsolicited mail include leaving brochures on cars parked in public places, but clause 22.13.2 exempts any documents from 'any government department or agency, local authority, network utility, political party or political candidate or any charity'. I don't know if the bylaw was drafted with Glen Innes Aquatic Centre in mind, but it seems it qualifies in this case ..."