Sue from Manchester

There was a rule once on a beach on the Mornington Peninsula about how deep you have to plant your sun umbrella!

Also one about not putting up a tent in your back garden!

JackTheLad

Apparently

I don't know how these families live with it though? I hear them screaming from inside their house for the dogs to shut up. Do they have to do that 20 or 30 times an evening everytime another dog or person walks passed their house?

Why don't they keep the dogs in the back garden?

Oh, on topic again, you're not allowed your dog off-leash except in very specific parks. Its a big FINE (suprise!) if you are spotted with them off-leash. However, when I was in North Straddie, which is part of Redlandshire last time I looked, there were loose dogs everywhere, and walking my dog was a nightmare cos all these dogs would come wandering over too him, and he's a bit defensive.I ended up carrying him half the time to stop him getting into fights

Cheers,
JTL

JackTheLad

Oh, thought of another...

You are only allowed 2 dogs per household, unless you have a breeders license,

JTL

spalen

Thankfully!! I dont hate dogs just the 2 next door

spalens wife

kirsty&al

I think the problem is that electric windows don't work with the ignition off and the doors may not open when mummy's locked the car so she can nip in and play the pokies for 3 hours.

I can vouch for bike helmets being a good idea. I came off a bike and landed on my head a couple of years ago - the helmet saved me from serious injury.

Regards
Alistair

cadman

I know this is a light hearted thread an all and that you gotta not let these silly rules get to you but jeez!

Badge, I know you've got the whole "embrace australia for all it's good and bad points, it's not the UK with sun, it's different"

BUT...... don't try and bullsh*it us......rules are there for a reason? give me a break

I work in the petrochemical industry and there are many many rules about safety cos people do get hurt and even killed. You do the courses and like yourself you get paid while you're doing them. great.

making people do a course so that they can serve alcohol, or coffee or not letting people put on a plug is just ridiculous.
and don't say "but if you wire it up wrong you could hurt someone" cos if you do then it's cos you're stupid

Sorry to the OP, just had to get that out.

BTW - I'm not in oz yet, I plan to have the same attitude generally as yourself badge, I'm looking foward to the differences and want to embrace Oz for what it is.

Cadman

JackTheLad

Thats a bit of an extreme scenario innit! :scared: So a gambling addict mother forgets to open the windows and turn off the child lock, so her kids boil in the car.

So we all get hit with an extreme law about never ever leaving kids alone in the car, regardless of whether there is a Pokies machine nearby

I could go on to scenarios about banning alcohol cos a kid got killed by a drunk driver once...

JTL

mozzie

The reason for this is that drink-drivers came up with a cunning plan to avoid losing their licences if breath-tested after an accident. They'd keep a flask of spirits in the glovebox and then tell the coppers that they'd taken a quick swig AFTER the accident to calm their nerves.

Simone

But what about all the nonextreme cases:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...-29279,00.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s447107.htm


And only a month or so ago a mother left 2 kids(one baby I think) and a dog in a car at a shopping centre near here.
It was about 30 degrees.
Apparently the mother was depressed, that was her 'excuse'. I think she got a fine and has to do community service work, not sure.


Kids of a young age can't open windows.


But I agree with that you should be able to bring your trolley away, or leave older kids in the car. But where do you put the line. How many minutes are you allowed, how old may the kids be....

MrsDagboy

Just out of curiosity, how many times would it have to happen for you to think its not an extreme scenario?

Do you also object to there being a law saying that you cant leave a dog in a car?

cadman

I think any right minded person would agree with this law, it's not like in the Uk or europe where the kids will be ok unless it's during one of our rare hot summer days, in Oz I would imagine the heat in a closed car could kill in minutes.
Taking the trolley back - could you maybe leave the doors open while you sprint "supermarket trolley dash" style across the car park?
Or do what everyone else does and just leave it !!!

kirsty&al

Or introducing child passports so that foreign fathers could not abduct their own children...oh sorry that was the UK.

Is the law actually extreme? Has anyone been done (or know about anyone being done) for leaving their kids in the car when they take their trolly back, or pay the petrol attendent, or pick up a pizza, etc...? Also, I think you might be surprised at how many people used to do this (both here and in the UK).

Regards
Alistair

MrsDagboy

A couple of years ago there were some cases of kids being left in cars for hours in the carpark of the casino in Melb. Separate incidences.

Then there was a case a couple of years ago of a child left in a car for just a few moments while the mother nipped in to pick something up. Someone stole the car, took it for a joy ride & then dumped it somewhere with the child still in the back strapped into its seat & the doors & windows all closed (from memory, it happened in Sydney & it was a black BMW or something).

Sadly, the child died .

Edit : BTW, not only cant kids of a young age open windows (which these days are usually power windows anyway) or open doors with child locks on them, but children of under about 5 are normally strapped into child seats which they cant get out of anyway.

JackTheLad

Are you trying to pick a fight again Mrs D? I thought you'd be happier today now you've had another bucketload of rain.

I don't think there needs to be a specific law against leaving a dog in the car, but people should be made aware they could be prosecuted if the animal was caused unnecessary suffering by doing so. i.e. if they are dumb enough to leave a dog in the car in direct sunlight, they will get prosecuted. But on an overcast day, in an underground car park, where the ambient temperature is 19 degrees, its daft to have a law saying I can't go into Coles for 15 minutes and leave the dog in the car. He loves it in the car.

Actually I suppose I'm breaking 2 laws, cos I leave the windows open a bit for him to get fresh air as well. Ooooops

Laws need to be proportional to their impact on the whole society. Banning Pokies cos a few people get addicted to them isn't right. Banning alcohol cos a few people drink drive isn't right. Banning people from leaving kids in their cars at all, ever, just cos one or two muppets messed up isn't right.

Cheers,
JTL

Amazulu

Totally agree. Australia is a very bureaucratic country, a bit like Switzerland (which is unbelievably over-regulated). So much for the easy going, macho, laid back image that Australia fosters abroad. I think it is probably one of the most regulated & PC countries in the western world. All this bullsh*t keeps loads of jobsworth type people employed, but ultimately it is a drag on their economy. You need a licence/piece of paper to do anything, the way tradesmen are made to jump through hoops to conform to an Australian standard even though they are more qualified than the Aussies, not allowed to change a plug (I still can't believe this), you can't do things to your house like tiling etc. All this has got to to be a drag.

Thing is UK is slowly but surely heading the same way