... snuck into a concert without paying?
"Not recently. But I have done it once or twice.
"The difficulty I’ve always had is that most of the concerts I go to, I stand out like a sore toe because there aren’t any other Asians there. It’s very hard for me to sneak into places.
"So I’ve been a big financial supporter of local shows over the years."
... made an embarrassing scene in public?
"Yes. Many years ago, I was catching up with some law mates, upstairs at a restaurant across the road from Knox Church.
"I hadn’t been feeling very well that day. At the end of the meal, I got up to pay and I kind of quietly collapsed in a great heap. I fainted. So the ambulance came and revived me and there were people all crowded around watching.
"They had to get me down the stairs into the ambulance, so they had me strapped on to a stretcher. The stairs were curved so they had a hell of a job getting me down the stairs. Everyone in the restaurant was still watching.
"The ambulance officers nearly dropped me when one of my mates said: ‘Well Chin, this must be the ultimate in Chinese takeaways’."
... been arrested?
"No, but I have been stopped by police for going a bit faster than I should have been. There was a couple of occasions when the officer who stopped me, took one look at me, recognised me as the mayor, ‘tut-tutted’ me and said, ‘Of anybody, you should know better’. He turned a blind eye, which was actually worse than getting a ticket. It made me feel really guilty.
"These days, I haven’t been mayor for so long that nobody knows me, which is a good thing because I get the penalty."
... accidentally dropped the F-bomb during a speech or in the company of important people?
"Not the F-bomb. But yes, the odd obscenity goes down quite well these days because it’s so much more acceptable. The days when even the word ‘bloody’ or ‘shit’ was frowned upon, those days are gone.
"Swear words are just common place. They’re great for breaking the ice at times. But you have to choose your audience — especially with elderly people."
... peed in a pool?
"Yes, who hasn’t. But it’s not so much of a problem these days. I’m at an age where you don’t walk past toilets. You use them at every opportunity."
