Sideswipe: July 31: Ugliest Auckland footpath

Patchwork footpath

"It's ironic that two years ago red-chip concrete was voted tops by the public," writes Tony. "Yet this photo of Mt Albert Road must surely be the ugliest stretch of footpath in Auckland. It's unbelievable that contractors have been allowed to seal patches in black."

Enough to make you flush

"Some months ago we visited Wellington to celebrate our wedding anniversary, falling in love with the city with the exception of one 'shortcoming'," writes Owen McMahon of Auckland. "I recommend avoiding the toilets near Cuba St, at all cost. I found the bowls are so sloped that for a gentleman to avoid resting his pride where many have rested before he must sit to the extreme rear. A sensor apparently monitors one's presence. Malfunctioning, it flushed with great vigour while business was still very much in progress. On completion, despite many attempts, neither the flush nor the tap functioned. I resorted to washing my hands in a neighbouring cubicle. The attendant approached at discourteous speed: 'What's going on here!' I politely explained. The toilet's electronics, having apparently reset, flushed the moment the attendant belligerently waved his hand before the sensor. 'There's nothing wrong with it,' he said. 'It flushed when I was halfway through!' I exclaimed. 'That's because you moved ... You shouldn't have moved."'

Simplicity on water

Mick Kelly's statement yesterday about water is true only in its simplicity and ignoring all other factors, writes a reader. "The rain will fall on land areas that are contaminated and the water in rivers and aquifers will likely be lower than drinking standards. Storage in aquifers takes years to replenish but weeks to deplete and as long as we continue to treat it as a never-ending resource we will face a water shortage not just due to quantity but quality as well. Some aquifers and water sources in the US are too contaminated to use for domestic or livestock purposes. And yes there is climate change too!"

"Talk about unrealistic depiction of a 'safe worker'," writes a reader who received this flyer at work. "I am appalled that she has no safety glasses or gloves!"

More merino ...

A dad writes: "Last year before starting on a trip to the north of Scotland with my daughter (who lives in the tropics), I warned her that it could be very cold there. I offered to bring some extra merino for her. She replied: 'No thanks ... I don't drink!"'

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