Bermudians need to get used to doing a bit of exercise ? even when heading to sporting events according to Dale Butler. The Sports Minister reckons it?s too easy for your typical Islander to jump in a car, drive, park up and walk a couple of dozen steps to get to a match.

Tackling this slothfulness was the reason punters going to the 20-20 Cricket Classic have found themselves diverted the long way round to reach the action in North Field. In a master-stroke of health education the main gates on Frog Lane are out of bounds for those entering the event.

Instead everyone has to detour through the national stadium, stroll across the main pitch ? which has helpfully been turned into a health and activity ?village? in case anyone is in doubt about the message ? and then down an adjoining footpath before finally reaching the bleachers for a rest, and no doubt some well-earned fast food and drinks.

Hector, who reckons the long way round walk is half-a-mile, found Minister Butler enthusing about the Cricket Classic set-up that got Bermudian?s walking a little more than they are used to.

But the epic trek wasn?t appreciated by all, with one spectator mopping his brow upon reaching the penultimate security checkpoint and emitting a heartfelt grumble: ?I feel like I?ve done the End to End!?

First, there are only two purchase options ? online or at CellularOne outlets. Online was more convenient, but Hector is a suspicious sort and the idea of paying over the Internet didn?t really strike a comfortable note. So it was off to CellularOne on Reid Street. There, Hector was pleasantly surprised on two counts ? there was only one person ahead of him in the customer service line and a plaque acknowledging the store for its friendly customer service, which could only mean a swift, efficient transaction.

That was not to be as the CellularOne representative answered a personal call on her cell phone while in the middle of assisting the customer. The rep did, however, have the smarts to place her friend on hold and quickly returned to the business at hand.

Her needs tended to, the customer walked away satisfied and it was Hector?s turn. Or so he thought. The rep decided now was the time to attend to the personal call ? and did so in front of Hector, whose mouth remained open in astonishment throughout.

Once the call was finished, the rep returned to her role of providing friendly customer service ? perhaps reminded of what was expected of her by the sign which sat to her left as she chatted on her phone. With no apology made for the wait, Hector was taken through the buying process, allowed to choose a seat which best suited his needs and indicate the day it was needed, and asked to make payment.

So, 20 minutes into the transaction, Hector whisked out his super-duper-accepted-everywhere-in-Bermuda debit card and placed it on the counter, and was then told that CellularOne would only accept cash or cheques for 20-20 cricket matches.

I don?t know about you rich folk, but Hector is a poor journalist and doesn?t usually carry around the wads of cash ? $120 ? the customer rep was demanding, unless he has a specific need for it.

And he would think in one of the financial capitols of the world the habit of paying with plastic would have been ingrained rather than be deemed a bizarre inconvenience.

wishes new Wyndham Hotel and Resort owner the best of luck in his bid to turn the hotel around. And he is going to need it judging from last week?s debacle when turned up to photograph him ? only to be given a grilling by security staff who told him no such person worked there and maybe Mr. Warden was a guest.

Despite being repeatedly questioned on why he was there the plucky snapper stuck to his guns, even though he was beginning to doubt the assignment himself, especially when one of the hotel managers turned up to also claim that there was no Mr. Worden at Wyndham.

It was only when one of the senior management appeared that sanity was restored and the meeting with Mr. Wordon went ahead, if a little late. Hector suggests one of Mr. Wordon?s first tasks should be improving internal communications.

the identity and whereabouts of Mr. Wordon and his estranged staff might be better improved by fitting them all with GPS. Hector knows some cabbies have resisted the technology and branded it ?spy-in-the cab? because it will show their vehicles spends most of its time parked at the golf course.

But surely no politician would think of fitting GPS just to track the whereabouts of staff? Well apparently the Canadians are already on to it, with the city of Montreal planning to install GPS in some of its vehicles to monitor employees.

Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum said the initiative will allow city workers to be tracked at all times after some city workers spent more time on lunches and breaks than repairing roads or cleaning city streets.

According to a Canadian TV website the city secretly followed several crews in the Ville Marie borough and saw they filled only nine potholes in 90 hours of paid work a task that should have taken nine hours. Hector thinks this is fair enough ? just as long as a similar device is fitted to Mayor Applebaum ? and any other politician, here or in Canada, who is thinking it is such wonderful idea.