Lateral with Tom Scott

167: Animals carrying sausages [LIVE]

Dec 19, 2025
In this lively discussion, Ria Lina, a stand-up comedian with a PhD in virology, offers hilariously offbeat insights into selfless speeding and the peculiarities of promotional curries. Comedian Alasdair Beckett-King shares his wit by diving into sausage-nunchuck controversies, while Iszi Lawrence, a historical children's author, uncovers the amusing story behind the restoration of Brontë diacritics. Together, they create a delightful tapestry of humor, history, and quirky inquiries live from the Clapham Grand!
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INSIGHT

Name-Based Restaurant Promotions Work

  • Banana Tree offered a themed free dish promotion tied to specific names and dates to drive visits during a quiet period.
  • Tom explains the promotion gave a free 'Cat Sue' curry to anyone called Cat or Sue between 22–25 September 2025 to attract customers.
ANECDOTE

Pinky Gesture Used As Road-Safety Shaming

  • Ria Lina presents a New South Wales campaign that used a little-finger gesture to shame speeding drivers.
  • The campaign tagline framed speeding drivers as compensating for small penises, using a pinky gesture to insult them and deter speeding.
INSIGHT

Legal Exemptions Need Measurable Time Savings

  • A German court refused a speeding exemption because the minor speed excess produced no measurable time gain.
  • Tom notes the court ruled an eight km/h exceedance didn't shorten arrival time enough to justify exemption during a medical emergency.
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