Brian Holden: Beware, mindset can thwart anyone

Jim Hickey has stepped down from television weather presenting.

Being locked out of your own car is the pits. It's happened to me a few times, even once when I had an interested buyer wanting to take my car for a test drive.

But probably even worse is when you're locked inside your vehicle - and you can't get out. It's a rare occurrence but it does happen, especially with the sophisticated locking systems on many of the newer models.

Take the Alexandra couple who recently had a near-death experience after being imprisoned in their new "keyless" car in their own garage for almost 13 hours. After becoming trapped they attempted to escape by sounding the horn and trying to smash a window with a car jack, with no luck. Fortunately, however, they were freed by neighbours early the following morning after the wife became unconscious and her husband was struggling to breathe. Another half-hour in the car and they could have died.

Brian Smith, who considered himself "very methodical", said he simply could not find the unlocking mechanism. What he failed to do - and is now kicking himself for it - is to unlock the door manually in the normal way, which this car was perfectly capable of doing. Reach for the inside door handle, "click" and the door opens.

Unbelievable as this predicament may sound, in reality it can happen to anyone. The couple were victims of mindset and overlooked the obvious. Indeed, the car salesperson should have made it clear that the doors would still open manually even if the transponder gadget failed to work. But he too would have assumed that the new owners would have realised that.

We've all been caught out with mindset from time to time. For example, when I was unable to refit the interior fan on to our oven. No matter how hard I tried, the nut would not screw on. It was only when my engineer savvy brother-in-law came to the rescue that we discovered that it was a left-hand thread and that half a turn in the opposite direction instantly solved the problem.

We also have a new radio/CD player that has near invisible function controls and a cutting edge car stereo that is damned near impossible to select radio stations. On Friday, I had to remove the blaring beast from the dashboard and replace it in order to re-set the volume control that had become inoperable. Sure, the manufacturers know how these too-smart-for-their-own-good devices work but often we, the users, do not. So let's have some sympathy for Mr and Mrs Smith who, in a time of panic, became confused and found themselves in what would have been an incredibly distressing ordeal.

When it comes to offering the sharpest deal for a mobile plan, I reckon 2 Degrees takes a lot of beating at less than $40 a month.

Goodness, that's less than $10 a week. I'm able to bring myself up to date with the news and weather at any time, check my bank balances, make payments and transfers - and make phone calls. When you stop to think about it, we've never had it so good. But when it comes to my monthly billing, which is done by automatic bank transfer, my provider is a tad over the top. Each month they email the bill, and then delight in sending a detailed follow-up text, reminding me that an automatic withdrawal is coming up. Then on the actual date of the withdrawal, I get another message that the withdrawal has actually been made.

Finally, 2 Degrees flick a text to wish me a great summer holiday and to remind me that how easy it is to manage my Pay Monthly account when I'm "out and about". There's even a link to an app to make the process so much easier. Sigh. It's wonderful to know that my telephone company really cares!

"But right now ... it's six o'clock". These are the words we will miss now that TV weather presenter Jim Hickey has stepped down after 26 years. As a first-class presenter and weatherman, Jim will be a tough act to follow.

And Another Thing wishes all its readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Brian Holden has lived in Rotorua for most of his life and has been writing his weekly column for 11 years.