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Home / New Zealand

Sideswipe: Jan 5: Have a nice holiday brake

Ana Samways
By Ana Samways
Sideswipe - ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz·NZ Herald·
4 Jan, 2016 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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"Not sure if this school sign was an indication of how tired teachers were at the end of the year," writes Linda. "Or if it was a pun on the stop-start nature of holiday traffic exiting Auckland.

"Not sure if this school sign was an indication of how tired teachers were at the end of the year," writes Linda. "Or if it was a pun on the stop-start nature of holiday traffic exiting Auckland.

Ana Samways
Opinion by Ana SamwaysLearn more

Bogan watch

"When you're out on the roads this holiday season you might be all stressed about tourist drivers if you have been following media reports," writes James. "Don't be! Statistics show that tourists are involved in 1.3 per cent of accidents - so you have a 98.7 per cent chance of colliding with a fellow Kiwi (probably some combination of drunk, unlicensed, or speeding). So be more afraid of local bogans and be nice to tourists!"

Best of weird news from 2015

1. A man in Zion, Illinois, was observed putting electronics into a shopping cart at Walmart and leaving without paying for them. When confronted by store employees, he fled without the merchandise. Police later arrested 25-year-old Che Hearn as he was walking down the road.When asked why he was walking, he responded that his car had been repossessed while he was at the Wal-Mart, police said. Investigators determined that the repossession company had followed Hearn to Wal-Mart, police said. The car was towed away when he entered the store, giving Hearn the only option of fleeing the scene on foot, police said.

2. Norwegian artist Hilde Krohn Huse videotaped a piece of performance art that caught more than what was intended. Kruse went into the woods near Aukra in Norway and recorded herself hanging naked from a rope tied to a tree. However, at the end of the performance, she could not free herself from the rope. The video ran out, and she was still hanging, alone, calling for help. A friend finally arrived, after Kruse had been hanging for three and a half hours. The resulting video is not as Kruse had planned, but it was selected to be exhibited in the Bloomberg New Contemporary exhibition.

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3. David Spargo is a fan of the Australian band Peking Duk. On December 2 in Melbourne, he went to the backstage area of a concert, where he was stopped by a security guard. Spargo told him he was band member Reuben Styles' stepbrother. The guard demanded proof, so Spargo pulled up Peking Duk's Wikipedia page on his phone and pointed out his name. The name he added only a few minutes before. The security guard let him in.

More here at Mental Floss.

Now that's service

A reader writes: "Hats off to Rangi who has worked the BP in Kerikeri for many years. A regular customer, Mike filled up, but forgot his pin number. The panic set in. No problem. Rangi paid for it herself, and Mike went back later to reimburse her. That's service."

 "My Husband Ross says it is the Ultimate Ride On Mower, but I think this is a bit extreme...would make quick work of the lawn though" writes Wendy from Rotorua.
"My Husband Ross says it is the Ultimate Ride On Mower, but I think this is a bit extreme...would make quick work of the lawn though" writes Wendy from Rotorua.

Picture this: What sleeping positions says about your relationship (a parody)...

Check this: If you need a little positivity in your life check out The Year of Good Things from Slate, a clever interactive graphic which nods to a news story that uncharacteristically positive...

"As seen directly from my seat at St Heliers Bay Bistro,"  tweets Johnathan Drake.
"As seen directly from my seat at St Heliers Bay Bistro," tweets Johnathan Drake.

Video: Housewives of South Auckland...

Good read: Why men don't like funny women...

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

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