RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29851, 18 June 1962, Page 20

RANDOM REMINDER

HITCH-HIKE

One of the distinctive features of night-life in Christchurch is the mobile restaurant, or cafe de kerb, or pie cart. Travellers from distant lands are probably fascinated by the exotic flare of lights, the smoke curling up on a frosty night, the piquant odour of wet peas and saveloy skins, the air of bonhomie. And it is to a pie cart that young gentlemen on the town usually repair. Just recently one of

these establishments was visited by two young gentlemen so engaged. One of them was intensely proud of his American. late-model car, and the efficiency of the machine was the chief topic of his conversation. While he was forking his way through his eggs and chips he kept up a vivid description of the magnificent take-off acceleration of his car. It was a harmless enough pursuit, but the imp of mischief lurks in strange places.

Just after the motorist departed, those left behind heard his car start. A moment later the whole grand structure of the pie-cart gave a tremendous heave. Pies cascaded from the oven, a wave of hot coffee lapped greedily into the mess, bottles fell from shelves, meals descended on to diners’ laps. It was chaos: someone with a perverted sense of humour had attached to the fast American car the drawbar of the pie cart. «,