buffer() function does not handle the anti-meridian

[Mike McCutcheon]

I am using the buffer() function successfully in most of the world to define what I call the "scope" of a linestring, but if the linestring is too close to the anti-meridian, the function doesn't seem to work.

My php code is as follows:
mysql_query("UPDATE `table` SET scope = geomfromwkb(buffer(linestring, '$range'))");

You can see an example linestring and bad buffer in the following Google Earth screenshot:
http://www.around-the-world.co.uk/downloads/red_linestring_and_green_buffer_on_180_degrees.jpg

As you can see, the buffer wrongly runs down the 180 degree longitude line.

My earlier post suggests that the distance() function does not handle the anti-meridian either.

If nobody explains that I am wrong, I will post this as an error to correct in the project documentation.