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A goat holds the high ground as it shares baleage with deer in Riccarton Rd on the Taieri. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
A goat holds the high ground as it shares baleage with deer in Riccarton Rd on the Taieri. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
Dunedin people complaining about the spread of road cones? Pah!

I realise not all of you will have experienced Christchurch roads in the years since the earthquakes, but, sorry, we have very little to complain about here, compared with ''Cone City''.

Let's take the onus away from the orange cones, however, and place it firmly on to motorists. Who would like to complain about distracted drivers instead?

I can't get over the number of drivers I see using their cellphones while pootling along central Dunedin streets, either checking or sending texts, or yakking away. Why aren't the police doing more about this extremely dangerous illegal habit?

I also can't believe how slow many motorists are at taking off from traffic lights. Such slow reaction speeds are worrying - would they also be this slow if a ball were to suddenly bounce across the road, with the risk of a youngster following?

Late service

Yvonne Coughlan emails with her concerns about what is happening to the tradition of afternoon coffee or tea in Dunedin.

''Recently we took a drive to Port Chalmers and, out of four cafes there, one was closed permanently and the other three were all closed before 3pm.

''I'm sure in the cruise-ship season they are all open, but what about for Dunedin residents?

''Going around Dunedin we often strike the same problem, being told they have already cleaned the coffee machine, or the muffins have just been put in the freezer, or we are now getting ready for dinner (at 3.30pm). I know many cafes open early for people wanting a takeaway coffee on the way to work, but even so.

''I wonder if other people have experienced this attitude.''

Thanks Yvonne. I'm sure there will be readers with suggestions as to which cafes around the region stay open later than 3pm or 3.30pm.

Some pretty neighbourhood gentrification on Larnach Rd, Waverley. Wouldn't it be nice if a few more residents across Otago brightened up their verges like this? A big green thumbs-up for this effort! Photo: Stephen Jaqueiry
Some pretty neighbourhood gentrification on Larnach Rd, Waverley. Wouldn't it be nice if a few more residents across Otago brightened up their verges like this? A big green thumbs-up for this effort! Photo: Stephen Jaqueiry
Multi-use

A colleague has been getting frustrated each morning when he sits down with breakfast to read his ODT. His 2½-year-old grandson has been staying and obviously the nipper has been watching members of the family set the log fire each night, ripping up old newspapers to go under the kindling.

When my colleague came in from fetching the paper, he threw it down on the couch, only to come back and find each sheet had been removed, screwed up and thrown down beside the fire.

This happened two days in a row. Now he is careful to put the day's ODT up nice and high when he brings it in, well out of his grandson's eager clutches.

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An Englishwoman at Port once explained 'it's not Piccadilly Circus'.