Evil motorcyclist threatens innocent crowd of violent protesters.

[Drum]

That picture is priceless. 'Contract Killers'. Fark thats funny.

[Curious_AJ]

people call me hippie.. but you wouldnt find me protesting against that... its bad that it happened.. but really, they were probably capable of paying the bloody bills in the first place!! ..

they also should have stopped eating all the pies...

[Lias]

Seeing crowds of hippies protesting like that makes me want to go all Lipene Sila on them with a big truck.

Fucking commies the lot of em. WTB some McCarthyism in NZ...

[candor]

What got me going was the "family representative" turning up at the protest to explain their good fortune getting a free coffin and to pass the hat around.
Now I know whanau help one another but milking the protestors before they offer is ummm well..... I'll say no more. Poor lady but as a nurse I don't think the power cut killed her - and if not these hippys are excited over nothing, but they love it don't they!

[Big Dog]

If anything this should serve as a reminder that you have to pay your bills and if you can't but do depend on the service you are provided put your hand up before you can't.

Any company is at the end of the day there to make money. No profit = No investment. No investment = Less jobs and no power for anyone.
If she was a month overdue shame on the company.
If she was months overdue shame on her family.

[Brian d marge]

He revved his motorbike ... He was in the crowd revving his motorbike How much more anti social can you be ,, I mean poor Bertram , had to see the school nurse , and is terrified of loud vehicles now.
Its lucky we have Just bought a Landrover discovery with the optional leather seats and catalytic converter

I am shocked at the behavior of those people ,

Stephen

and a free coffin ,,, Mmmmm might try that one meself ,,those things are expensive ,,

[Hillbilly]

According to the Herald, they'd just made a payment, and the next one wasn't due until 13th June. The family also showed the contractor the machine as well as him speaking to the mother, and he turned off the power anyway. He didn't have the balls to call his superiors and advise them of the situation, and he also could have phoned and let the family explain what the situation was. The whole "I'm just doing my job" is a cop-out. The guy had no guts.

It's tragic that a misunderstanding about a power bill ended with someone's death. Get this right! This is the same attitude where the power company will turn off your grandparents/parents power during a freezing winter because they're behind with the bills. And they're "just doing their job".

[shcabbeh]

He didn't have the balls to call his superiors and advise them of the situation, and he also could have phoned and let the family explain what the situation was. The whole "I'm just doing my job" is a cop-out. The guy had no guts.

What would he have to be scared about from his superiors? I work in a callcenter and most of our "contractors" would rather ring than face the wrath of the customers. I highly doubt he would have any reason not to call if he was aware of the situation.

This is typical customer crap too, you can smell it. Their version of the story is only holding without evidence. Some people would and DO deny things even if they're presented with contrasting evidence. Anyone who works in customer service should know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, on topic...there's a pic of the tail end of the bike trying to be kicked by some fat guy (failing miserably). TOO FAT and TOO HIPPY.

Does anyone know who the biker was?

**edit** Oh and I can't help but read that sign as "Ram people before profit" but perhaps that's just me.

[MisterD]

Does anyone know who the biker was?

I'd say there's a fair bet LilSel does...

[James Deuce]

I've looked at the news reports, read the papers, looked at news web sites and based on having had someone at home for 4 months being fed through a tube and on a compressor for O2, just like this lady, I have some questions.

1. What was the family doing while she died?
2. Why didn't they call an Ambulance?
3. Or the GP?
4. Or even take her to hospital themselves?
5. Where were the portable bottles of O2 that get delivered by BOC within 25 minutes of you ringing and asking for them?
6. BOC can also provide a Generator if required.
7. You get given bottles of portable O2 if you have a compressor at home to help you breathe - why wasn't she attached to one of those while they sorted the power out?
8. How come no one has asked these questions?
9. Will someone at Mercury stand up and ask these questions?

This whole thing stinks. Typical Corporate beat up. It's sad that she died, but she didn't have to. It's bizarre that she did.

[Devil]

My biggest question is why is such an important electrical device supplied without a UPS. Would there be the same kerfuffle if there was an electrical storm? What about a car accident taking out a power pole?

Dont get me started on the family not calling an ambulance.

I think fuckups on all sides contributed to this death, not one singular thing.

Fucking protestors. Do they advertise at WINZ for these rent-a-crowds?

[Mully]

9. Will someone at Mercury stand up and ask these questions?

This whole thing stinks. Typical Corporate beat up.

Bingo, Jim.

And no, they wont ask. They are already being portrayed as the villians in this saga by the media. I've been very unimpressed with the Herald and Campbell Live about their attacks on Mercury and their gutter journalism.

Mercury give seven weeks notice of the power being cut off. Seven weeks. And the bill was considerably overdue.

I think not taking ownership is the NZ way. There has to be a corporate villian. There were at least (depending on what you read) two children in the house, over 20 years of age. When she said "Look after your brother", and her vision went hazy, why would you not call an ambulance?

FFS, it was 3 hours after the power was cut that she died. 3 fricken hours. There could easily have been a 3 hour power cut.

Our power got cut off in error and I rang the call centre and told them I was cutting the seal off the meter to turn back on, they were fine with it.

Yes, it's sad. But why is this only Mercury's fault??

[Drum]

The health authorities have also indicated that if her life depended on that machine then she would not have been sent home. It was to assist her breathing only.

If a few of those protesters ate less pies then they would be able to pay their bloody power bills.

What are the power supplliers supposed to do if people don't pay their bills? Keep supplying it for free? These protestors are living in LA LA land, and the current press is telling one side of the story only. Naturally this is the more sensational side of the story, the same side that sells papers.

[Drum]

9. Will someone at Mercury stand up and ask these questions?

It's not Mercury's role to ask those questions. All they need to ask is Were the corerct procedures and protocols followed? The last thing they need to get involved in is a moral debate.

[James Deuce]

My biggest question is why is such an important electrical device supplied without a UPS. Would there be the same kerfuffle if there was an electrical storm? What about a car accident taking out a power pole?

You don't need one. When you have a compressor in the house, they supply you a backup in the form of Oxygen cylinders. There was no need for her to die. The guy from Middlemore Hospital tried to point that out, but they cut the interview short.