D Tuesday, February 9, 2010 News 18 swords? Thats hard to swallow PLEASE, please, please people... do not try this at home. Or anywhere. This is Chayne Hultgren, aka The Space Cowboy, who set a new Guinness World Record yesterday by swallowing 18 swords, each 72cm (28.3in) long, in one go. Its amazing Im really happy. Its definitely one of my greatest achievements so far, said the 31-year-old Australian, who beat his own record of 17, set two years ago. Ive been training a lot, doing a lot of meditation. Ive learned how to control my muscles and my internal organs. Hultgren began his unusual career aged 16 and said it was not dangerous when you knew how to do it. I dont just straight away grab 18 blades and shove them down my throat youve got to practise a lot and build up to it, he gulped. Gulp: Chayne Hultgren squeezes down 18 swords to set a new Guinness World Record Picture: AFP/Getty tres and from 51 per cent to 77 per cent for contractor centres. One-third of RSA testers had pass rates varying more than ten per cent from their centres pass rate, he said. Concerns at inconsistent driving tests SOME driving test examiners consist- ently pass or fail significantly more candidates than other examiners oper- ating in the same centres, the public spending watchdog has found. The Comptroller and Auditor Gen- eral (C&AG) also noted a 13 per cent difference in pass rates between Road Safety Authority examiners and those outsourced to contractors in 2008. RSA chief Noel Brett said its 121 testers underwent retraining and com- petence assessments last year. The contractors, Swedish firm SGS, were given candidates who had not failed a previous test, he added. The RSA took over the running of driving tests from the Department of Transport in 2006 and tests were out- sourced in 2007 and 2008 to clear the 69-week backlog of learner drivers. However the C&AG, John Buckley, found during that time the national av- erage pass rates varied from 39 per cent to 60 per cent for RSA test cen- By Sarah Stack City dwellers call to keep speed limit INNER city residents have called on the Government not to reverse the new 30kmh speed limit. The North West Inner City Intercultural Working Group says, without it, motorists are making the streets outside peoples homes unsafe. Many of the residents of the city come from countries where pedestrians and cyclists take priority over motorists, said chairman Ken McCue. They are surprised how aggressive drivers in the city can be, he added. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html