Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Jan 31st 2010, 12:57 am
#61
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Posts: 15,109
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Jan 31st 2010, 3:32 am
#62
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,733
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Parallel dimensions yet again for me. I was on patrol at our local beach for the duration of Australia day - from 8am until 6pm.
There's a small local bylaw that prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the public carpark next to the surf club building which was introduced some time ago because some local kids were coming to the car park and getting drunk. Anyway, quite a few back packer style combis backed up to the grass at the edge of the car park. Tents went up, radios came out (JJJ hottest 100), eskies opened, beer being consumed. Everyone's happy, no-one's causing anyone any grief.
About midday the police show up, doing the rounds. They can clearly see the young folks sipping their beer, they can also clearly see that it's all very good natured and nobody's being a wanker. I have a chat to those coppers right next to two surfers sipping a TED each. We talk about the recent drownings in NSW. Then they get in their police car and off they go.
I was down at the beach this morning. Everyone had gone. There were a couple of empty beer bottles left in the dunes, but that was it. Maybe it's different out in the sticks, but I had terrific day at the beach and so did everyone else I saw.
If it sucked like it seems to where some of you live. I'd move.
There's a small local bylaw that prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the public carpark next to the surf club building which was introduced some time ago because some local kids were coming to the car park and getting drunk. Anyway, quite a few back packer style combis backed up to the grass at the edge of the car park. Tents went up, radios came out (JJJ hottest 100), eskies opened, beer being consumed. Everyone's happy, no-one's causing anyone any grief.
About midday the police show up, doing the rounds. They can clearly see the young folks sipping their beer, they can also clearly see that it's all very good natured and nobody's being a wanker. I have a chat to those coppers right next to two surfers sipping a TED each. We talk about the recent drownings in NSW. Then they get in their police car and off they go.
I was down at the beach this morning. Everyone had gone. There were a couple of empty beer bottles left in the dunes, but that was it. Maybe it's different out in the sticks, but I had terrific day at the beach and so did everyone else I saw.
If it sucked like it seems to where some of you live. I'd move.
Jan 31st 2010, 3:55 am
#63
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Someone made a law to stop young P platers driving high power cars, a good thing in general, but didn't check it thoroughly...
Jan 31st 2010, 4:17 am
#64
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Hmmm. Maybe, maybe not.
To my mind it smacks of "Government knows best, and as government thinks that turbochargers are bad, hence government bans all P platers from driving them..."
It hasn't thought the policy through - it's a knee jerk reaction without any thought to it - as is always characterised by Nany state-ism policy making.
S
Jan 31st 2010, 6:55 am
#65
Brisbane's friendly cop
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,766
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Funny as in almost 10 years here I've never seen them before patrolling picnic areas and the like, whether it's at the beach, park etc.
They got the 'police volunteers' (on their uniforms) to hand out the leaflets while the actual police were a stone's throw away under their tent on the edge of the beach. So the leaflets were the warning before the fine - the 'good cop, bad cop' scenario if you will
They got the 'police volunteers' (on their uniforms) to hand out the leaflets while the actual police were a stone's throw away under their tent on the edge of the beach. So the leaflets were the warning before the fine - the 'good cop, bad cop' scenario if you will
We're not out to ruin anyone's fun on Australia Day or any other day, and like I said, we leave 98% of people having a quiet drink well alone to enjoy themselves.
Jan 31st 2010, 7:23 am
#66
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
I always thought I was an exceptional case, maybe my good looks,
, but it seems I am just one of the 98% majority 
Feb 2nd 2010, 9:34 pm
#68
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 3,521
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Where I work (as a cop) in South Brisbane, we patrol the parks all the time, not just Australia Day. And although you're not allowed to drink in the public places (apart from some exceptions) we leave the 'normal' people - families, small groups of sensible people who are enjoying a couple of beers or some wine etc alone to have some drinks. We only step in and tip drinks out or give tickets if there are big groups of people getting rowdy and causing problems, or groups of students who frequent a park in my area who we get complaints about and get drunk and noisy in the park next to their college.
We're not out to ruin anyone's fun on Australia Day or any other day, and like I said, we leave 98% of people having a quiet drink well alone to enjoy themselves.
We're not out to ruin anyone's fun on Australia Day or any other day, and like I said, we leave 98% of people having a quiet drink well alone to enjoy themselves.
Feb 2nd 2010, 9:35 pm
#69
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 3,521
Feb 3rd 2010, 3:59 am
#70
Banned
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 294
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
One of my biggest issues with the UK is the state of the American blame and claim culture that has ruined many of our once great institutions, one of them being our lack of being able to discipline our kids for bad behaviour and the knock on effect this has had in schools, teachers are so afraid of reprisals for the merest hint of a telling off, never mind clipping em round the ear or getting a slipper in front of the whole school like when i was at primary.
At least in Oz the kids wouldn't be kept inside for two weeks because the snowy playground is a "Health and safety" risk lol.
At least in Oz the kids wouldn't be kept inside for two weeks because the snowy playground is a "Health and safety" risk lol.
This is one of the things that I think people need to be aware of. People generally tend to think (largely due to the tabloid press in the UK and misguided Aussies who don't know their own country very well for some reason) that all these issues are unique to the UK and that if they move to Australia they will escape it.
In most respects society is run in essentially the same way in Australia as in the UK. The government has the same basic approach.
Thinking that Australia is immune to all this s*** is a huge mistake for potential migrants.
Feb 5th 2010, 2:00 pm
#71
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 10
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Same for my boys, their mother would not let them into the pool until 5pm Jan in Brisbane. Sun too strong, but it means that you are forced indoors in stuffy conditions. The person I was staying with was so mean he would not put the air-con on at 40 degree heat! Just to save electricity.
Feb 5th 2010, 2:26 pm
#72
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 20,821
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Same for my boys, their mother would not let them into the pool until 5pm Jan in Brisbane. Sun too strong, but it means that you are forced indoors in stuffy conditions. The person I was staying with was so mean he would not put the air-con on at 40 degree heat! Just to save electricity.
That's stupid.
Feb 5th 2010, 9:16 pm
#74
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Feb 5th 2010, 9:55 pm
#75
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 17
Re: Oz-Is it a nanny state?
Australia 20 years ago was v. much a larrakin, friendly, knockabout type of a place with lots of beers drinking, travellers and people by & large having a good time. Not aware of any Govt. interfering back then, nobody cared less.
Now we have the internet being censored by that fknut Conroy who is a comlete dropkick. Aside from that the rules\fines have gone wildy out of control. Parking fines are frequent and super expensive. A parking ticket is $82 last I got one. Probably $90 now. RTA, who are a private not govt. run organisation, make up new revenue raising schemes on a daily basis. Road cops are a particularly nasty bunch of teenagers.
The good side of the so called nanny-state is that you can get some form of welfare payment for pretty much anything if you drop by Centrelink. Baby bonus is great too. Also the swimming pool safety regulations are appropriate.
Now we have the internet being censored by that fknut Conroy who is a comlete dropkick. Aside from that the rules\fines have gone wildy out of control. Parking fines are frequent and super expensive. A parking ticket is $82 last I got one. Probably $90 now. RTA, who are a private not govt. run organisation, make up new revenue raising schemes on a daily basis. Road cops are a particularly nasty bunch of teenagers.
The good side of the so called nanny-state is that you can get some form of welfare payment for pretty much anything if you drop by Centrelink. Baby bonus is great too. Also the swimming pool safety regulations are appropriate.
One of my biggest issues with the UK is the state of the American blame and claim culture that has ruined many of our once great institutions, one of them being our lack of being able to discipline our kids for bad behaviour and the knock on effect this has had in schools, teachers are so afraid of reprisals for the merest hint of a telling off, never mind clipping em round the ear or getting a slipper in front of the whole school like when i was at primary.
At least in Oz the kids wouldn't be kept inside for two weeks because the snowy playground is a "Health and safety" risk lol.
At least in Oz the kids wouldn't be kept inside for two weeks because the snowy playground is a "Health and safety" risk lol.