In Bell Block, a sparky's ute rules the cul-de-sac

A white Mazda ute with a Bell Block electrical contractor's decals has blocked three driveways since early Tuesday. It's on a cul-de-sac off Mangati Road. By Thursday afternoon, none of the households had complained to Police, the council, or the driver.

The reason is that he is the sparky. Each household has a job booked with him. One is underway. The other two are, according to booking texts shown to The Daily Yarn, "next". Residents reckon whoever raises the ute stops being next. They have been walking to the dairy instead.

Kerry Dowse, 58, of the middle driveway, said she came close on Wednesday. "I had the words ready. I was going to say look mate. But he's doing my oven," she said. "Well, he's meant to be. That's next week, or that's what the text said." He did the Wyllies' switchboard last year, she added, then vanished for eleven months. "I'm not going to be the one. Someone will. Not me."

A note went under the wiper on Tuesday evening. Its author took it back within four minutes. A northerly had blown it off the bonnet, and he'd chased it to the Wyllies' letterbox. An apprentice, believed to be 19 and in possession of a nose ring, has spent most of the three days in the passenger seat. He has been on his phone. Two residents described him as "not the one to ask". A fourth household across the road is not blocked. It has started a list of jobs to raise should the electrician surface.

A sergeant at New Plymouth Central, a mate of this reporter's from the station, confirmed the ute was blocking a crossing. That's a matter for the territorial authority. With no complainant, the file has been NFA'd. Reached on the third attempt, the electrician said he was "right onto it, just finishing the Dowse oven". Told of this, Kerry Dowse said the oven was next week. Nobody had been in her kitchen.

The ute has not moved. On Thursday a resident noticed its rego expired in May. The street has agreed not to mention that either.