Looking back over the past weeks and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.
Late night ice cream revelries cancelled
Some cities and towns face noise issues from boy racers, drunks, and parties that go on ’till dawn. In Milan, Italy the problems are apparently caused by late night ice cream indulgers. The city tried to ban the sale of takeaways after midnight a decade ago and failed. Now a new proposal is on the books and might just well succeed. Apparently light night gelato is an Italian tradition but the current mayor wants to curb sales after midnight to establish a little peace and tranquility in the city.
“However, this is not the first time Milan has tried to ban ice cream after midnight. Back in 2013, the then mayor Giuliano Pisapia tried to implement similar measures but after a fierce backlash, including a reported ‘occupy gelato’ movement, he U-turned. He was reported as having said after backtracking: ‘People can eat ice cream day and night, anywhere they like.'” (Source: “Milan poised to ban ice cream, pizza and more after midnight after new proposed law,” by Kieren Williams, 22nd April, www.news.sky.com).
3 stars – I’m torn here – the curmudgeon part of me loves the noise cancelling but what’s really wrong with a rather wonderful tradition?
Maybe some banks need to rethink the service part of what they offer
Banking services are a necessity and as we move closer and closer to a cashless society we need to maintain services that some parts of our society depend on. More and more, certain businesses are refusing cash and the first time I encountered it I was taken aback. Nowadays I hardly ever use or have cash – I use a card for everything, or occasionally my phone. The first time I even realised that businesses were refusing cash was a rare time that was all I had on me, as I had lost my card. I had to buy what I was after somewhere else but it got me thinking – about how others who mainly use cash will cope.
Then today I read a story about a bloke who tried to deposit cash at a bank and was told they didn’t do that. Sadly, in not too long, I am sure that will be the norm.
“Phil Parker, a small business owner in Auckland’s New Lynn, was ‘bewildered’ when the bank near his auto care business wouldn’t take his cash. When Parker made the 50-odd metre walk from his business to the Kiwibank in LynnMall, he was surprised the bank didn’t accept over-the-counter cash deposits. He was told he could use the ATM outside, but his card had a crack in it and therefore didn’t work in the machine. Parker then had to go to a bank further away to deposit the cash.
“It was the first time he had been to a bank that didn’t accept cash over the counter. ‘Surely that is what your bank is, they are there to take your money and look after it. That’s the whole idea of what a bank is.'” (Source: “What’s got your goat? Bank won’t accept cash over the counter,” by Adam Blackwell, 28th April, www.stuff.co.nz).
1 star – there needs to be a little bit more give from some banks when it comes to maintaining services.
Lost card turns up 13 years later – In Antarctica
We all lose things – it’s all part of the fun and giggles of being alive – but when we do, we think of obvious places and then delve under couch cushions, car seats, and maybe the fridge. One gentleman in Wellington lost his swipe card over a decade ago and had it returned to him recently after it was found by a diver on the sea bed in Antarctica – the last place you would ever think of looking for a lost card.
David McCaw’s RNZ swipe card was in a bag that was taken from his car. Police returned the bag but the swipe card was gone. In 2016 a NIWA diver found the card on the ocean floor about 20kms from Scott Base. The card then sat in a box for eight years after unsuccessful attempts to locate the owner. Now Mr mcCaw is in possession again of the card he lost 13 years ago and it’s a bit of a mystery as to how it happened to be found thousands of miles away in Antarctica. Perhaps it was tossed in the sea and ocean currents slowly moved it southwards, or maybe it was in the possession of a visitor to the icy continent. In truth we will perhaps never know.
5 stars – I do love a story like this – so ridiculous and entirely true. Great stuff!
