Sideswipe: March 31: Well, that escalated quickly

Neil Bailey couldn't help but notice new signage on escalators for Auckland trains. “Not sure how many times you need to be reminded within the space of about 10 metres!”

Unexpected at the airport

1. “My aunt is a retired flight attendant. On one flight, a female passenger who was travelling with her young son kicked off royally at the other, male passenger in her row. She assaulted him and had to be restrained and the flight had to land to have her arrested. The little boy was crying and the police were telling the staff how he’d have to be removed by social services when a man in the adjacent row chimed up that he was the woman’s husband and child’s father. And he was! He had sat there motionless the entire time!”

2. “We were travelling from an airport with friends and about to go through security checks. Randomly chatting as you do, and my friend ponders what you do about security scanners if you have a hook for a hand. We proceed through security, sit down to have a coffee etc and about 20 minutes later someone comes through with a hook for a hand. I mean what are the chances?”

Worth a shot

Worth a try.

A police officer in Chisago County, Minnesota, conducted a traffic stop last week. When approached by the officer, the driver handed him a “Get out of jail free” card from the board game Monopoly. “Unfortunately, the state of Minnesota does not recognise this as a valid document,” the Sheriff’s Office posted to Facebook. “Points for the effort and humour though!” The driver wasn’t actually facing jail time.

What is micro-cheating?

MAFS expert Melanie Schilling defined micro-cheating as “a series of seemingly small actions that indicate a person is emotionally or physically focused on someone outside their relationship”. It could be idly browsing dating apps; flirtatious messages sent to a co-worker; even leaving suggestive emojis under someone else’s Instagram posts. The big red flag comes when you feel the need to downplay these interactions to your partner. Even though it starts small, the betrayal that partners feel as a result of micro-cheating can be anything but. Honesty and communication are key if you don’t want an innocent act to become a slippery slope.