Now who would have thought ?

Most people I know here have equipped themselves with the near ubiquitous mosquito bat and I have several mates in other places envious of these essential anti-malarial and anti-dengue devices. (Refer a previous post Tennis anyone ?)

One of my long (but never lost) mates from Central Victoria expressed a desire to acquire one of these murderous weapons. I recall many moons ago working in that very place with both hands fully occupied with task at hand and 10,000,000 flies determined to tip me over the edge of sanity.

So on my recent visit to Darwin, I thought it a good opportunity to carry such a device for subsequent mailing through the OZ postal system.

“Excuse me sir. I am making you aware that you have stated that you are not carrying any weapons or other items in contravention of the customs act”. (Or words to that effect.)

“Wot?” I replied in my best strine.

“Can you move over here and open your suitcase?”

“Yes … don’t tell me it is the mosquito bat ?”

As he grabs it, “Yep … come this way sir”.

Twenty minutes later with feverish sweat on brow, the customs boys hand me my “Seizure Notice” as follows :

1 hand-held electronic device designed to administer electric shock on contact

I left a beaten man.