Motorcyclist killed in Otago crash

**Gone Burger** · 14th May 2010, 23:52

Thoughts are with the poor lads friends and family. What ever happened, someone still lost their life, and that's tradgic

**scooute** · 14th May 2010, 23:57

Originally Posted by Katiepie

Thoughts are with the poor lads friends and family. What ever happened, someone still lost their life, and that's tradgic

Agreed, RIP to the poor guy and thoughts go to family and friends...!!!

**shrub** · 15th May 2010, 10:19

that over the last few weeks a young soldier was killed on his bike by a car driver and now this young man. Young men going somewhere in life and making their way, taken out and killed through no fault of their own, yet we know little about them and there is little comment in the media.

Then a kid at an exclusive private school steals a bottle of Vodka, gets seriously fucked up and dies; and the media are full of what a tragedy it is and how Somebody Should Do Something. Completely self inflicted, and no less a tragedy for the people left behind, but how come when a rich kid drinks himself to death it's time to deal with teen alcohol abuse, yet when a couple of young men on bikes get killed by cars nobody bats an eyelid?

**rustic101** · 15th May 2010, 10:27

Originally Posted by oldrider

Local papers are full of it, pics of his Ninja and all, plus a lot of local (North Otago) people have been involved in the follow up and there may be much more to it yet to be revealed.

So a Drug Run gone wrong perhaps???

**peasea** · 15th May 2010, 10:32

Originally Posted by shrub

that over the last few weeks a young soldier was killed on his bike by a car driver and now this young man. Young men going somewhere in life and making their way, taken out and killed through no fault of their own, yet we know little about them and there is little comment in the media.

Then a kid at an exclusive private school steals a bottle of Vodka, gets seriously fucked up and dies; and the media are full of what a tragedy it is and how Somebody Should Do Something. Completely self inflicted, and no less a tragedy for the people left behind, but how come when a rich kid drinks himself to death it's time to deal with teen alcohol abuse, yet when a couple of young men on bikes get killed by cars nobody bats an eyelid?

Bloody good point.

**sinned** · 15th May 2010, 10:35

Originally Posted by shrub

that over the last few weeks a young soldier was killed on his bike by a car driver and now this young man. Young men going somewhere in life and making their way, taken out and killed through no fault of their own, yet we know little about them and there is little comment in the media.

Then a kid at an exclusive private school steals a bottle of Vodka, gets seriously fucked up and dies; and the media are full of what a tragedy it is and how Somebody Should Do Something. Completely self inflicted, and no less a tragedy for the people left behind, but how come when a rich kid drinks himself to death it's time to deal with teen alcohol abuse, yet when a couple of young men on bikes get killed by cars nobody bats an eyelid?

Death on the road is so common that joe public has become immune to it. Not much of a story here for the mainstream media, but the kid story sells papers.

**shrub** · 15th May 2010, 10:43

Originally Posted by sinned

Death on the road is so common that joe public has become immune to it. Not much of a story here for the mainstream media, but the kid story sells papers.

I agree that death on the road is common, but then so is death through alcohol abuse - possibly even more common. And how much handwringing would have gone on if the two young men on bikes had been women driving cars or doctors on bicycles? I think it comes down to motorcyclists being seen as more expendible than other people.

**rustic101** · 15th May 2010, 10:48

So can someone please explain to me why the youth Suicide rate in NZ is higher than the National Road Toll, and has been for around eight years. Yet it gets no funding and very little media exposure or public empathy...

**shrub** · 15th May 2010, 10:53

Originally Posted by rustic101

So can someone please explain to me why the youth Suicide rate in NZ is higher than the National Road Toll, and has been for around eight years. Yet it gets no funding and very little media exposure or public empathy...

Because youth suicide is, to be brutally honest, a little embarrassing. Admitting that we're failing so many young people when we live in such a brave new world does not win votes, and it takes a major ideological shift by the whole of our society to deal with, whereas road deaths are easy - more TV ads, more speed cameras and cops hiding behind trees filiming dodgy overtaking wins votes and costs bugger all.

**Virago** · 15th May 2010, 10:54

Originally Posted by shrub

...how come when a rich kid drinks himself to death it's time to deal with teen alcohol abuse, yet when a couple of young men on bikes get killed by cars nobody bats an eyelid?

It all comes down to newsworthiness. People die on the road every day - it doesn't have shock value.

One any day, the drunken behaviour of some rugby player will be more newsworthy than the hundreds of people who died in an earthquake in some third world country. Those earthquake victims will also be overshadowed by the latest gossip about Tiger Woods. A police dog being injured in the line of duty will rate higher than any road death.

The New Zealand road toll dictates that on average at least one person will die each day in a road accident. Whose turn it is today is simply part of the background of life - unfortunate, but inevitable.

**rustic101** · 15th May 2010, 10:58

Originally Posted by shrub

Because youth suicide is, to be brutally honest, a little embarrassing. Admitting that we're failing so many young people when we live in such a brave new world does not win votes, and it takes a major ideological shift by the whole of our society to deal with, whereas road deaths are easy - more TV ads, more speed cameras and cops hiding behind trees filiming dodgy overtaking wins votes and costs bugger all.

Which is interesting as if they (Politicians) stopped and though - shit if these young people were alive think of how much revenue we could take off them in Tax's, speeding fines etc... Hell god forbid any of them ever got their lives sorted out and progressed to become a Politician, Tax man or Constable, Doctor etc

Lol my rant over.

**scumdog** · 15th May 2010, 11:15

Originally Posted by Virago

The New Zealand road toll dictates that on average at least one person will die each day in a road accident. Whose turn it is today is simply part of the background of life - unfortunate, but inevitable.

Exactly - we've all become accepting of the road toll...

**Spearfish** · 15th May 2010, 11:33

Originally Posted by scumdog

Exactly - we've all become accepting of the road toll...

Your right, to a degree... I've read posts here from experienced riders who are proud to not bin a bike every year or so, it can be done.
I've noticed that those riders just go quietly about their business clocking up the miles they also tend to get shyt for it to.

**scooute** · 15th May 2010, 13:21

Originally Posted by shrub

that over the last few weeks a young soldier was killed on his bike by a car driver and now this young man. Young men going somewhere in life and making their way, taken out and killed through no fault of their own, yet we know little about them and there is little comment in the media.

Then a kid at an exclusive private school steals a bottle of Vodka, gets seriously fucked up and dies; and the media are full of what a tragedy it is and how Somebody Should Do Something. Completely self inflicted, and no less a tragedy for the people left behind, but how come when a rich kid drinks himself to death it's time to deal with teen alcohol abuse, yet when a couple of young men on bikes get killed by cars nobody bats an eyelid?

I agree totaly, just proves my point on the view of the media today having a political agenda in order to atract ratings, the more people feed off the political interpretations (no longer do they just report the news to us so we can see what is happening over our fences.) they broadcast the more stories they have to follow! (perhaps they missed the political angle on this one...) this is issue as you mention seems to be all too frequently misrepresented as a sad tragety that was unavoidable, bollocks!

**scooute** · 15th May 2010, 13:25

Originally Posted by rustic101

Which is interesting as if they (Politicians) stopped and though - shit if these young people were alive think of how much revenue we could take off them in Tax's, speeding fines etc... Hell god forbid any of them ever got their lives sorted out and progressed to become a Politician, Tax man or Constable, Doctor etc

Lol my rant over.

Or they could be thinking maybe theyll go on the doll and suck us dry... howewevr I think we are a lilttle of topic here now