. Copyright Able 2017 Tonight ` medical misadventure. I was just sobbing. She flew to India for surgery... I was begging, 'Please let us on the flight, you know, please.' ...and was kicked off the plane on the way home. She just stood there and ripped our tickets like that. Plus ` place names, they give us a sense of home. Hikuai. Hikuai. We're at Hikuai. Where are we? Oh, Duck Creek. It's obvious. (ALL LAUGH) It's a bit of a joke ` until there's an emergency. Waved his arms, and kept on driving. And ` trouble in the rubble. Depending on your point of view, this is either a small mess or part of a much bigger problem. I thought, 'What the hell, and who's been here?' Who's responsible for these mystery diggings? What I wanted them to do was tell me whodunnit, what it was for and who was gonna clean up the mess. Welcome to the show. Ever wondered what it takes to get kicked off a flight? Drunkenness should do it. Mm-hm. Threats of violence, disobeying crew instructions, throttling neighbouring passengers and trying to take over the pilot's seat, I reckon, are all pretty good reasons to get an escort off a plane. Yes, but how about flying with a doctor's certificate that says you're OK to fly? Hmm, it's a bizarre scenario that left a Rotorua mum stranded in Bangkok. Here's Anna. Rotovegas is a tourist hotspot. It's internationally renowned for its thermal beauty. But it was an attraction of a different type that would take local Annette Brons... halfway around the world. I'd been looking to have weight-loss surgery. Yeah, I was very tempted to have the surgery there in Thailand. I looked at Dubai. And I got back a reply from India, and it was quite curious. I had those same fear that most people have about India ` you know, is it clean enough and all that kind of thing? But it wasn't until I spoke to the doctor, you know, I really felt confident in him. And he sounded really lovely, and I just had just intuition, I think you can say, and I wanted to go there. Medical tourism has become big business. In April, Annette began a 10,000km journey with her son Johan to Thailand, the Middle East and finally India. We were just in a car going here and going there and seeing these amazing buildings that just kind of looked really, you know, surreal. And I was saying to my husband when I'd ring him up, 'Oh, it's kind of like a different planet. 'You know, and the buildings are really unusual.' In the Indian city of Kochi, she hooked up with a good friend. And they both had laparoscopic, or keyhole surgery, for weight loss. The operation was a complete success. I don't regret at all. The doctors and the staff there were just the friendliest, the nicest. They were really` You know, they really took care of you. One week after the surgery, Annette, her son and friend flew from India to Thailand to catch the final flight home via Qantas. They'd double-checked the Qantas website and thought there'd be no problems. They even spoke to their travel agent Expedia about priority boarding. They had me on hold, on the line, for probably nearly an hour. They came back and said I just needed a clearance from my doctor, a letter of clearance from my doctor. But Qantas staff in Bangkok had other ideas. Annette was banned from boarding the flight for no specific reason. I was begging, 'Please let us on the flight, you know, please. You know, we've got to get home. 'I've been away from my home for a month, you know. I really want to get home.' And she just shook her head, and I said, 'Well, what do we do? Are we able to catch another flight?' And she just shook her head. 'Where are we supposed to stay? 'Are we supposed to just stay at the hospital?' And she just shook her head. And by then, I was just sobbing. This is the letter from Annette's surgeon. It clearly states she's had surgery and was fine to travel. It was taking for ages, and I went up to her, saw her on the phone, and she said I have to ring the doctors up to see if I can get clearance for you. I said, 'Well, would you mind if I spoke to the doctors?' And she, kind of, said, 'No, you can't speak to them.' I said, 'Well, it'd be better if I spoke to them, cos I'm in the one that had the surgery.' She wouldn't let you talk to them? She wouldn't let me talk to the doctors. Did you think that was a bit odd? Yeah, that was actually the stage that, for me, that I remember, that I started to get really nervous. And I said to her` and then she got off the phone and said the doctor said you can't fly. Annette was able to put them on to her Indian surgeon. But Qantas staff are allowed to decide themselves whether a passenger can fly. They just kept saying, 'Wait, wait, wait. We're talking. We're talking.' And we just sat around waiting for ages. But there would be no negotiation, no compromise. Yeah, I just felt like they were just trying not to help us ` I really did. Like, they, they didn't try at all to even reason or listen or compromise or anything. Yeah, it was... I was actually really upset at the time. Johan was allowed to board. Annette and her friend were stuck. I was just begging them to let us go, but by then, you know, it was definite we weren't going to be. And she ripped our tickets. She just stood there and ripped our tickets like that ` the supervisor did. It was quite a, kind of, like, 'Really?' And I said to the manager, 'So what are we supposed to do? When will be allowed to fly?' And she just shook her head like this. Yeah, we're right at the check-in, right there. So this is the moment? Right next` Yeah, this is the moment. Yeah. With no chance of getting on the Qantas flight, they took their business to another airline. Went to Thai Airways and got a ticket? They sold us a ticket. And how much was that? $899. Did you say anything to them about your surgery? No, we didn't say anything. (CHUCKLES) We were too scared to say anything. We were just going to get our ticket and get home as fast as we could. Back in New Zealand,... Annette demanded a refund. They offered... A return flight. Is that any use to you? No, I will have to get a flight to go there to get to use it. But why wasn't she allowed to fly in the first place? The company's PR man gave us this medical advice. So` But those medical professionals never actually saw Annette themselves with their own eyes. Qantas later sent us a statement. It's short, but not so sweet. The company says no one would have wanted the flight to have had to make a medical diversion that day, and that Annette was refused boarding in the interests of her own health and safety. What's really bizarre was that Annette should never have been banned from flying home. Qantas' own conditions clearly state you can't travel for just the first four days. Annette was seven days post-surgery. Even if it's not required, as stated by your company on your website? But the Qantas medical form says you only have to fill it out if you have complications. No complications, no problem. All of which has left Annette feeling a bit bamboozled and reluctant to do business with the airline ever again. I won't fly with them again. I just think that was really... The treatment was really appalling. You know what, they say that surgery is like one of the most stressful things you can go through, and travelling is one of the most stressful things. (LAUGHS) Combine. Put them all together. Not pleasant. Now, Qantas have been back in touch. They maintain ground crew sought medical advice about the passenger's condition. The advice was that she was not fit to fly, and she was not allowed to do so for her own safety. They say, 'We have no reports of tickets etcetera being ripped up. 'We attempted to offer a solution, but the passengers walked away from check-in.' Now, Annette and her fellow travellers are adamant their boarding passes were ripped up and they didn't walk away from check-in. They couldn't; they were in wheelchairs. Now, Qantas also tell us they're looking at what they can offer as a gesture of goodwill. But they've already been out manoeuvred by Expedia, who've told us, 'We appreciate the inconvenience Annette experienced. 'We want each and every one of our customers to have a positive Expedia experience. 'And as a gesture of goodwill have refunded $972, the cost of Annette's flight, 'and given her a $300 Expedia voucher.' That is a fantastic result. Brilliant result. Good on you, Expedia. Yes, indeed. Well done, Expedia. Coming up after the break ` why are the good folk of Duck Creek in a flap over Google Maps? 'Continue for 15km.' Getting from A to B is pretty easy these days. 'You are 111km from your destination.' But good luck trying to find Hikuai. Where are we? Oh, Duck Creek. It's obvious. (ALL LAUGH) It's a bit of a laugh ` until you need an ambulance. And the ambulance goes to Duck Creek, which is 6 K's down the road. And ` mystery diggings in the burbs. I actually thought it was really bizarre. Who's responsible? They should know who's digging up their verge. . Welcome back. The world is a weird and wonderful place, and you don't have to look far to find some bizarre names for places we call home. The Backpacker's Guide to New Zealand reckons some of our funniest place names include ` I made a bit of a list ` Whakapapa, Waipu, Shag Point, Hooker Valley, Cape Foulwind ` Have you been there? ` Humpback Ridge. I have been there ` no humps. And of course, Snuffle Nose, Little Wart and The Pimple. They don't even make the cut. We've got some weird names. Disappointing. Listening to that line-up, you have to wonder what could possibly be upsetting about a place called Duck Creek? Well, let me assure you, it has ruffled the feathers of some locals. 'Continue for 15km.' Are you a bit like me and rely on the lady in the phone to tell me how to get from A to B? 'Take your next left.' And back again. 'You are 111km from your destination.' Today she's leading me to Hikuai, on the Coromandel Peninsula. We're getting along great. 'Your hair is looking good.' But at the local garage, they've got a problem they don't think I can fix. You're dreaming. Their issue is simple. We don't exist. Yeah, we're a nobody. That's Bill Prescott. That's not funny, no. He owns the garage. He's stuck. I've run out of ideas. That's why I've rung you guys. They do exist, of course ` any local will tell you. Where are we? Hikuai. Hikuai. We are at Hikuai. But out back,... Well, we're in Hikuai here,... ...you'll get the whole truth. but according to Google Maps, we are in Duck Creek. Yes, Google Maps says a large portion of Hikuai and surrounds is in fact Duck Creek. Where are we? Oh, Duck Creek. It's obvious. (ALL LAUGH) No, definitely not. So the people of Hikuai want you to know one thing. So Hikuai and Duck Creek are two quite different places. This is Hikuai and Duck Creek. When you are in Hikuai, you can't be in Duck Creek. No ducks here. This is Duck Creek. Not even a creek. Duck creek is in fact 7km from Bill's garage. It's nearly Pauanui. It's home to nothing but a road, a bridge and some spiders. Oh, Duck Creek used to be a great place for duck shooting. But because Google Maps is king, Peter's phone now tells him he's in Duck Creek. The cell phone tower comes up Duck Creek. Same in this car. You've got to tell that BMW that it's not Duck Creek. This just comes in all the time. And it's been showing up on Bill's mail for a while now. I get a lot of it. The mailman's confused too. It must be on some website or something. This Duck Creek business was all a bit of a joke until the day... Young Massey got run over by a tractor. Bill moved quick. Picked him up, took him into the house, bellowing blood everywhere, and we rang the ambulance. 21 Hikuai Settlement Road. We had a guy standing at the gate to wave him in. Waved his arms, and kept on driving. And the ambulance goes to Duck Creek, which is 6 K's down the road, and it was probably another 15 minutes or so till it turned around and come back. Luckily, Massey survived. Tyre rubbed right down his face and side of his helmet. Bill, though, was determined to sort this out once and for all. He thought the solution was simple. Get hold of Google and get this Duck Creek removed from the Hikuai map. His office girl would sort it. I've had quite a few office girls over the last seven or eight years, and they've all been tasked with approaching Google and doing something about it. Yes, for seven years now, they've been trying to tell Google about Duck Creek and how it doesn't exist. And the result? No good. Bill's tried all sorts of angles. Search and rescue, police. Then... Been to mayor's office. His last stop was his MP. they had a go for about a week to see if they could sort something out, and they got `went in the too-hard basket. It's a continual problem, even today. So I've just had a good chat with some people from emergency services, some locals. They couldn't go on camera, but what they did tell me was that the problem is not just Duck Creek; it's that there are many Duck Creeks, as in... six Duck Creeks all around here. As usual out the back, they're realistic. We'd be hard pressed to get it changed considering we are dealing with Google. But in Duck Creek, they've obviously never run into 4-year-old Perry Jones. She can't read, can't spell Google and her world ends at the corner of our street. Which, fortunately, is where her friend Eloise lives. What are you doing? And there I was chewing the fat with Eloise's dad ` also called Hadyn. We can't get hold of them. When he mentioned casually... Yeah, well, I know someone at Google. Bingo. Yeah. Or maybe not bingo. Hadyn's friend had left Google two years ago. But he knew someone who knew someone and two days and a few emails later... Wow. This is an email from a Wellington PR company. They represent Google. They say they are going to fix it. I've got to ring Bill. Yeah, Bill speaking. Bill, Hadyn Jones here from Fair Go. I've heard from Google. (LAUGHS) They say it's wrong, they're looking into it and they're working to fix it. Bloody marvellous. At newly named Hikuai, there's something to be said for stubborn determination. I thought I wasn't going to let this one go and get called Duck Creek. While at the same time, keeping your sense of humour. That's marvellous. (LAUGHS) Gosh, that 4-year-old girl was cute, wasn't she? (LAUGHS) I know you're a modest guy and everything, but you must be feeling quite proud. Will I get a statue in Hikuai now? Maybe get a statue. Yeah. Maybe rename it. All right, coming up after the break ` do cell phones and electronic gadgets drive you mad? The do's and don'ts of tech etiquette. Is it OK to post photos of other people's kids on social media? Definitely not. No. Without permission, I don't think that's OK. As long as they're your close relatives or family member, it's fine. How about talking on the phone at the dinner table? Depends on how boring the other person is. I don't think so. No. I hate that. And ` strange goings-on in the leafy/posh suburb of Remuera. I thought, 'What the hell, and who's been here?' We dig deep to try and unearth those responsible. They should know who's digging up their verge. . Welcome back. Navigating the minefield of modern manners can be tricky, especially when it comes to technology. That's right. Sorting out the do's from the don'ts isn't always easy. Like, do put your phone away when you're having a face-to-face conversation. Definitely. And here's a good don't for the kids ` most definitely do not break up with anyone via text message or Facebook. Just quietly change your status. We're talking etiquette, and tonight we're zooming in on technology do's and don'ts. First up ` is it OK to go into someone's home and ask for the Wi-Fi password? Nah, not OK. Not OK. I don't like it. If they're your friends, then it's OK. Kate Hawkesby wouldn't call herself a tech expert by any stretch, but she's got a pretty good idea of what's acceptable and what's not. I personally don't and wouldn't, but most kids are on really cheap plans. They don't want to waste their 3G or whatever it is. How about having your phone on the table during a meal? No, depends how boring the other person is, but they shouldn't be boring if you're with them. Nah, I don't think so. No, I hate that. Definitely not with a girl. So that's a pretty clear no ` or is it? I think that it's ideal if they're not on the table and they're in your bag, but I think if you're a busy working woman or you've got lots of kids, then you are always needing to be contactable, so I think the new order is that your phone is within reach. Should you take devices away from other people's children? Not other people's, no, but my own, yeah, definitely. I think it depends on the circumstances. We actually ended up, because the kids were so young, taking phones off those who had them, because otherwise they just kept each other awake all hours, but then once they get older and they reach a certain age and they're teenagers, you would have to get them surgically removed from their hand or their ear. Ha! Speaking of kids, is it OK to post photos of other people's children on social media? Definitely not. I don't think posting photos of little kids without permission ` I don't think that's OK. As long as they're your close relative or family member, that's fine. So I think the best rule of thumb is just if in doubt, ask. Always ask. Always ask. When does sharing become oversharing? I think you should keep your personal self to yourself. Nobody cares what you had for breakfast. (LAUGHS) I actually think it's up to the people that follow, you know. So if you don't want to know that and you know that person's just going to post their cat or their baby all the time, don't follow them. It's up to you, not them. Hmm, lots of interesting stuff there. I think good call at the end, because we all have that friend, don't we, on social media who overshares, and you can always just (CLICKS TONGUE) make the call. I thought you just forgot about me on Facebook. Oh, yeah, sorry. Is there a 'forgotten' button. No, all right. Let's move on. Because we all love a good mystery. But some strange goings-on in Auckland's posh suburb of Remuera has got one resident feeling a little perplexed. Here's Garth. # Bob the Builder! # Can we fix it? There's trouble in the rubble. # Yes, we can! # In Auckland's eastern suburbs, an anonymous digger has been hard at work. Depending on your point of view, this is either a small mess or part of a much bigger problem; because the person who lives here has no idea who's dug this trench. She just wants it fixed. But first she has to figure out whodunnit. I thought, 'What the hell?' And 'Who's been here?' The berms around here are wide and green. The trees austere in their winter slumber. But Sharon's neat and tidy frontage was blighted, and she was not happy. You quite proud of your berm? Oh, very. I've actually been weed killing and making sure that we` I think we've got the nicest prunus in the street. Nearly a fortnight ago, Sharon arrived home to find this. No letter, no signs, no warning and no trace of who to turn to, so she started with Auckland Council. They told me that it was my responsibility to find out who had done the hole. I actually thought it was really bizarre, because,... like, they should really know who's digging up their verge. No, she was expected to find that out for the council. The suggestion was that I ring Vector, Spark and Watercare. All to no avail. For a week, she puzzled and fumed. What I wanted them to do was tell me who'd done it, what it was for and who was going to clean up the mess, because there was nothing in the letterbox, there was no call on the phone. My name's on the outside of the house, so they could have actually rung me. So we made some calls of our own. we soon learn, strictly speaking, it's not Auckland Council who has to sort this out. Would you guys not know? Right, she needs to talk to Auckland Transport. A council-controlled organisation, Auckland Transport, is in charge of anything on Auckland's berms. And they'll come back and fix it, you think? Suddenly a flurry of fluoro punctuates a pale grey day. It's amazing what a little Fair Go magic will do. Quicker than you can say VisiVest, they're on the job. Looks like we might have fixed it. These guys didn't make the mess; they've been hired to fix it by Chorus. Chorus workers dug up the berm and the driveway to fix a fault with a phone line somewhere around here. Oh, so the people that dig it up are allowed to just dig it up without telling anyone, but they've gotta put it back as it was? Auckland Transport told us Chorus should have organised this patch up immediately the same day. So you just got told to come here? It's all taken less than an hour, but there's more to come. So this is all right, then, you reckon? Oh, this is just a temporary repair. Yeah. Chorus has apologised to Sharon. A spokesman assures us the company will re-concrete the damaged half of the driveway and match the colour to the unaffected half at its own cost ` great news for Sharon. Yes! (CHUCKLES) Fantastic. That would be great. # Bob the Builder! # Yes, we can! # Did that need explaining that it's good manners just when you dig up someone's driveway to say, 'Hey, I've dug up your driveway?' It's just basic berm etiquette, isn't it? Don't move someone's bitumen less letting them know. No. Now, before we go, you'll be pleased to hear the Fair Go Kids' Ad Awards are back this year. That's right. We're still working on the finer details, the fine print, but rest assured, they are happening. Yes. the due date will be the end of September, and thanks to Canon, the prizes are going to be epic. Yes, they are. Now, the theme? Well, let's just say Fair Go wasn't the only great thing to come out of the '70s. The first thing you'll notice is times have changed rather significantly ` maybe attitudes as well. Do your own navigating next time. He says I've got bad breath. Don't worry. My boyfriend once told me that, so I changed to Colgate dental cream. It's the only one with Gardol for fresh breath confidence. So I brushed with Colgate. Mmm, so fresh. It really works. Close to people, fresh breath is important. So get fresh breath confidence with Colgate. Good-tasting Colgate helps stop bad breath, fights tooth decay. That ad is still relevant today. That's modern marriage ` direct feedback. Your breath smells in the car. Get out. (LAUGHS) Go and sort him out, and kick him to the curb, I reckon. How about this one? From Elna, the Elnapress ` a new concept for an old chore ` let's you iron sitting down. With Elnapress, prepare your laundry as usual. Elnapress is so simple to use, you speed through the ironing in no time. Elnapress irons anything ` sheets, shirts, jeans, stretch fabrics ` perfectly. Heat control prevents scorching. It's compact, easy to carry and store anywhere. Elnapress ` a great new concept for an old chore. I do the ironing at home on Sunday nights in front of the TV ` TV1 ` and it's` I want one. That would be a bit of fun. You'd definitely get the kids doing the ironing with one of those, I think. Have you got one? No. Do you do the ironing? No, I don't. Right, that is the show, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. Like does Pippa do the ironing or not. Our programme is all about your gripes, your grumbles, your concerns. Please contact us. Yes, join us on Facebook, or you can email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz Or write to us ` Private Bag 92038 Auckland, 1142. That's our show. Until next week,... ...goodnight.