Murray Davidson, of Waverley, thinks my response was ''quite mild'' compared with his ''when confronted by them and there is not another vehicle in sight''.
''They now appear on nearly every light-controlled intersection. It seems another example of safety-measure excess. I can anticipate the response from the traffic engineers.''
Vince Chamberlain says he is a regular user of the traffic lights on the corner of Midland St and Portsmouth Dr, Dunedin.
''I approach Portsmouth Dr from Midland St and then turn right to go down the peninsula.
''Of late, when the lights stop traffic on Portsmouth Dr (for Midland St users to get a go), the cyclist-only light will activate for 15 seconds and then, finally, the Midland St traffic is free to go - yes, all three of us around 4.45pm before the lights changed again.
''I have now experienced this on at least 15 to 20 occasions and there has never been a cyclist around, let alone one wishing to use the crossing. I have noticed frustrated motorists are now running the amber and red light when it changes.
''Please do something about this or there will be an accident.''
Perhaps the Dunedin City Council traffic engineers can look into this?
Carless days
You might recall we were chatting about this scheme of former prime minister Rob Muldoon in 1979-80 to save the nation petrol?
Mark Pettinger of Cromwell shares a story that highlights what folly the wheeze was.
''Our carless day was Wednesday.
''I was employed by a large building company as a jobbing carpenter and was working on a project in Mosgiel and used our car to get out there. But on our no car day, the company provided a large truck to run me out and back.
''So, that's no trips for the car, but four trips for the truck.
''It didn't make any sense and Rob Muldoon's cunning plan was not so cunning at all.''
John Noble of Mosgiel says he recalls most vehicles at the time displaying an exemption sticker - a label with a large white cross on it.
''If you knew of someone involved with vehicle sales, mainly second-hand ones, there was always a number of extra carless day stickers available from there, as the existing day on the windscreen might not suit the new owner.''
Kind of, like
Central Otago poet and author Brian Turner called to express solidarity with my annoyance at the use of ''like'' as a conversation filler.
''The 'like' thing has driven me nuts for ages. But the worst of them, for me, is 'kind of' - 'kind of this', 'kind of that'. Or 'kinda'.
''Well, is it or isn't it?''
Disturbingly, while Brian and I were talking, he caught me using that very phrase. And I heard myself say ''like'' a couple of times too - but I think maybe I might have got away with it.