Ticket tactics in bus queue beggar belief

OUR recent coverage of begging has put the issue in the spotlight.

It seems there is a great deal of sympathy for rough sleepers.

But one "beggar" who doesn't deserve any was spotted on the Bridges. After working his way up the bus queue asking for 50p to help with his "bus fare" to Dalkeith, he eventually found a kind-hearted woman who dipped into her purse and gave him the cash.

He pocketed the money and rejoined a friend near the front of the queue. Moments later they hopped on their bus … both flashing their Ridacards. Sitting down, the man flashed a grin and waved at his Good Samaritan, whose face dropped in disbelief. Cheeky beggar.

Sinking feeling for lifeboat crew in need of rescue

THE men of Dunbar's Royal National Lifeboat Institution are used to helping others but they found themselves in need on a routine exercise. The town's RNLI inshore lifeboat capsized during a weekend training exercise in surf off Belhaven beach last week.

A Dunbar lifeboat spokesman said: "The boat, the IB1 'Jimmy Miff' had just started the exercise on Sunday afternoon in Belhaven bay, which is a favourite spot for surfers. As they were going back out to sea through the surf the boat upended and capsized.

"Three volunteer crew members were on board but none were seriously injured. They were assessed by paramedics as a precaution.

"RNLI volunteers risk their lives to save others at sea and the charity makes sure that all its crew members receive rigorous training to equip them to deal with capsize as well as anything the sea might throw at them."

If the cap fits

WHAT'S the fuss about Chris Paterson being named for his 99th Scotland rugby cap in Sunday's Murrayfield clash with France when colleague Al Kellock is (erroneously) listed on the SRU's own website as having 120?

A recount would show former Edinburgh second row Kellock, who "defected" back to his native Glasgow team a few years ago, is really on the 20 cap mark, well short of Aussie George Gregan's world record 139. Scotland's most capped player is not, in any case, Paterson but … Ian Barnes, now Edinburgh Accies coach.

Scottish protocol says a player gets one cap in his career presented after his first match. Back in 1974 and two years after debuting Barnes was sent a second in the post … making him our most capped player!

Sick transit van?

SPOTTED: biting satire on the back of a white Transit van. Instead of the traditional "clean me" messages written by finger in the dirt, this particularly filthy van carried the words: "Cleaned by the NHS."

Someone is clearly unimpressed by standards of hygiene in our hospitals.