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Home / New Zealand

Sideswipe: November 3: It must be flash

Ana Samways
By Ana Samways
Sideswipe - ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz·NZ Herald·
3 Nov, 2014 04:55 AM4 mins to read

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Ana Samways
Opinion by Ana SamwaysLearn more

Someone in Glen Eden is making the big bucks out of firewood.
(spotted by Neil Smithson jnr).

Sky's the limit for call centre audacity
A reader shares his call to Sky TV's customer service team last week:
Me: Hi, I'd like to cancel the Sky connection for my in-laws, who have both
passed away.
CSR1: Sure, I'll put you through to someone who can help.
CSR2: Hi, I understand you'd like to cancel your subscription. Can I have a reason for this please?
Me: Yes, the account holders have both passed away.
(I wait, expecting an expression of condolence and reassurance that my request will be handled.)
CSR2: Would you like to take over the account?
Me: No thank you.
CSR2: Would anyone else in the family like to take over the account?
Me: No.
CSR2: Do you have a Sky account?
Me: NO!
Seriously Sky, I know it's tough for you to lose a client after 15 years or more, but we have lost parents and grandparents. Have some heart and process my request with some compassion like all the other service providers have.

Are your children this embarrassing?
1. "I was strolling through a grocery store with my 2-year-old daughter one day. We pass by a group of four young men ages late teens to early twenties. My daughter points at one them and yells out loudly, 'is he my daddy?' I was mortified ..."
2. "Took my sons to an Asian market. My youngest tells me I took a wrong turn and got us lost. I assure him I didn't. He yells out 'Yes you did. We are in China' ..."
3. "I once had a kid walk up to me and say, 'Why is your body so big?' The parents were mortified. Stupid little honesty machines."
4. "When my daughter was 3, she went to Toys R Us. She was running ahead when she saw an Elmo doll and yelled at the top of her lungs: 'Oh my god, a homo! A homo!' within earshot of a lesbian couple. Luckily, once they saw the Elmo they thought it was hilarious."
5. "My wife had a CD of electronic music duo Crystal Method playing while she was taking our kids to school. Later that day, they were asked what kind of music their parents listened to. They blurted out, 'They like crystal meth!' That was an interesting phone call ... " (Source: Reddit.com)

Lack of action over school's parking problem

"This is the scene outside Papakura's Rosehill School, a school for disabled children," writes a reader. "Despite Auckland Transport getting daily complaints on their 'report a problem' section about the all-day parking in the 10-minute zone (picture below), for more than two weeks, nothing has been done. I am actually surprised they haven't sent someone to ticket the parents forced to park illegally while failing to address the problem that is right in front of them."

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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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