Fast and Safe

[Mongoose]

That crash causes need to be investigated properly and necessary remedial action taken and maintained; that a well-informed public is necessary to ensure that happens; that safety requires consideration of matters other than speed limits.

Well, that would appear to be akin to teaching your Grandma to suck eggs, to come into a bike forum and announce that, like its something new(that safety requires consideration of matters other than speed limits.) Go;;y, wich us motorcyclists had thought of that.

[Alan Wilkinson]

Mongoose, I've tried to be kind to you but it's a lost cause. When you grow up we may be able to have a proper conversation.

[spudchucka]

Mongoose, I've tried to be kind to you but it's a lost cause. When you grow up we may be able to have a proper conversation.

So now we're poorer, less educated and less mature than you, must be a lonely world you live in Alan.

Funny how everyone else on the site can manage proper conversations with each other but you can't. I guess you are just a social class above us scummy motorcyclists.

[spudchucka]

I'm a top down kind of guy. I like to work from principles down to detail. Also, detail usually needs to be decided by people at the coal-face.

Sounds a lot like you decide on the outcomes you want and then look for the details to fill in the gaps. Sounds highly self serving. Did you get your PhD & BSc(Hons) using this research method?

[Alan Wilkinson]

So now we're poorer, less educated and less mature than you, must be a lonely world you live in Alan.

Funny how everyone else on the site can manage proper conversations with each other but you can't. I guess you are just a social class above us scummy motorcyclists.

Cheer up Spud. Look on the bright side. At least you're not George Hawkins having a bad week.

[spudchucka]

There is one particular blind bend on my trip home where I just pray every time that nothing is coming the other way that is fast and heavy as I go around it. If there is then there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Coming the other way, it is a steep straight descent into it, a very sharp LH bend at the bottom with a long fall on the other side of the road and the road surface used to change from chip to glass just about the point you needed to brake. Plus the road carries a massive stream of tourists and we get plenty of rain.

Thankfully they have improved the surface, but I would like to think that someone is monitoring the skid resistence closely. Unfortunately, I doubt that is happening.

I don't know how many deaths there have been there, but certainly a number and several in the three years I have been driving it.

These are the kinds of hazards that need to be exposed to public view and political pressure. (And the safe speed into that bend is way, way below any speed limit.)

Alan, all anyone needs to do to avoid disaster on a corner like that is to open their eyes and engage their brains.

Having nationwide road condition assesors checking skid resistence daily and posting the results on a "skid Resistence" warning sign at every hazardous bend is just impracticle.

It comes down to individual drivers taking responsibility for their own driving.

This includes accurately assessing the road conditions at any particular time and place. This is an area of driver training that basically doesn't exist. Its also a reason why we have a graduated restricted driver licence system. Experienced drivers are supposed to accompany the learner driver and assist them to become "aware" motorists.

For some reason it rarely seems to happen that way and in fact what happens mostly is that mums and dads assist their little darlings to buy a jap import performance car and then kick them out on their own on a learners or restricted licence to encounter what ever the road holds ahead for them.

[spudchucka]

Not if they don't get legal aid.

So in your perfect world only the wealthy get the right to defend a charge in Court?

[spudchucka]

Cheer up Spud. Look on the bright side. At least you're not George Hawkins having a bad week.

He could always quit if he can't handle it. He might switch camps and join your crusade.

[Alan Wilkinson]

So in your perfect world only the wealthy get the right to defend a charge in Court?

Nope, but there are limits to how people can freeload on the taxpayer.

[marty]

so what about people who are *obviously* guilty, like the samurai sword guy in court at the moment. pleading NG on diminished responsibility due to drug use. betcha he's not paying for his lawyer.

why not get prisoners to build roads? now there's a cost saving measure.

[scumdog]

Nope, but there are limits to how people can freeload on the taxpayer.

You find a way to stop that AND implement it and you'd be da man!!

Even the freeloaders see it as their 'right' 'cos they pay taxes! (yeah right! -on their benefits!!)

[Alan Wilkinson]

so what about people who are *obviously* guilty, like the samurai sword guy in court at the moment. pleading NG on diminished responsibility due to drug use. betcha he's not paying for his lawyer.

why not get prisoners to build roads? now there's a cost saving measure.

I think we have to pay legal aid on serious cases like this. We should be looking upstream for a fix, not at the courts once he's fallen over the cliff and taken innocent people with him.

It's the welfare system that sets these kinds of guys up. I'm in favour of having them build roads before they go off the rails and become prisoners.

[scumdog]

I think we have to pay legal aid on serious cases like this. We should be looking upstream for a fix, not at the courts once he's fallen over the cliff and taken innocent people with him.

It's the welfare system that sets these kinds of guys up. I'm in favour of having them build roads before they go off the rails and become prisoners.

A little TOO much 'Pollyanna" there A.W.

This is the 'REAL' world full of nasty unfixable people who use nasty drugs that fry what few brain cells they have, who have no intentions of 'coming right', who are self-centred, who would be like that even if the 'welfare system' was not there.

Don't point the finger at the welfare system, it's there for all of us, not just the losers that breed and leech more tax-dollars to support their lifestyle.

I hereby declare this rant over.

[Alan Wilkinson]

A little TOO much 'Pollyanna" there A.W.

This is the 'REAL' world full of nasty unfixable people who use nasty drugs that fry what few brain cells they have, who have no intentions of 'coming right', who are self-centred, who would be like that even if the 'welfare system' was not there.

Don't point the finger at the welfare system, it's there for all of us, not just the losers that breed and leech more tax-dollars to support their lifestyle.

I hereby declare this rant over.

Yes, I know. I've lived in the North long enough to see these people. But there's just far too much bad welfare up here. And people who leave perfectly good jobs in town to go and get drugged and boozed for life in the country.

[marty]

so, if i leave my job, move to the country, go on welfare, get drugged up,. then kill someone, i should be able to get legal aid for my defence, however if i stay working, pay my taxes (and no, beneficiaries DO NOT pay tax) and kill someone, i have to pay for my own defence? how fair is that?