OFF THE RECORD

YOU have to wonder about the mentality of anyone who would deliberately go out of their way to cheat a charity.

How else to explain the couple who, not wanting to pay the entry price for this soiree, snuck in through the back door and plonked themselves down at an empty table.

Their ruse was only discovered when one of the organisers did a head count of tickets sold to actual guests and realised that there were two freeloaders.

The deceptive duo were soon identified and quietly asked to leave or else a higher authority would be called. To make matters worse, the charity would have been charged by the venue for their wining and dining thus compounding the loss of moolah.

Shame!

AT the opposite end of the spectrum we have this anonymous good deed by one of our better citizens.

Hearing that a former social grande dame had fallen on hard times he reached out to some of her friends to ask what he could do to help. The word came back that her car was on its last legs and some money to get it fixed would be greatly appreciated.

Knowing how much money she had raised over many years for worthy charities he decided to go one better and bought her a new car. Nothing fancy but something small and reliable with servicing and insurance paid for the next two years.

Best of all, the car was delivered with no mention of who had bought it.

GIVEN the spate of break-ins and car thefts of late, one homeowner has come up with a novel protection system. Cameras and automatic flood lights are there but, knowing how the perpetrators aren’t too fussed about being caught, he’s added some extra insurance.

Every night he leaves the insignia of a notorious criminal gang on his car keys. He reasons that if they do break in and see the symbol, they may think twice about taking off with anything.

The justice system may be a slap on the wrist but a much heavier slap could be inflicted for the crime.