Idiot bike riders!

[awayatc]

That is a very very good point. The idiots shutting down venues then expect us to ride where? But this kid had no right to be speeding up and down a beach in the dark. Parents have to step up and control kids.

That is their job indeed, as long as the they don't smack em.......

[rwh]

What we need is more legislation and some government employees to enforce it.

Enforce the law, sure. More cops to do so, probably.

But more legislation? What's the point? He was breaking enough laws already; how would more laws help?

The problem is that people - such as politicians - like to be seen to be doing something. And the public want to see them doing something. The trouble is, since they can't come up with something to do that would actually work, they insist on doing something completely useless to compensate - usually, making more silly rules.

Unfortunately it happens everywhere.

Too many people are caught over the alcohol limit, so lets lower the limit.
Is that addressing the problem? No.

Some people hijacked a plane, so lets ban bottled water on planes.
Is that addressing the problem? No.

Some kid was riding an unregistered motorbike on a populated beach in the dark with no lights, and hit someone, so lets ban bikes from the beach.
Is that addressing the problem? No.

I don't know what the solution to any of those problems is, but it seems to me we could save an awful lot of public money by not implementing useless non-solutions - and maybe spend it on real research.

Did this rant solve anything? Probably not, but at least it didn't cost anything ...

[Edit: I realised that you didn't mention any particular kind of legislation (and neither did the Herald article). Perhaps we could have some new kind of beach patrol team, that would require legislation to set up. That might be useful. But the Police could probably do it, if we had enough of them.]

Richard

[Highlander]

I think you are right there Richard.

It is not a matter of needing more rules.
I think it is more a case of needing to enforce the rules that already apply and making those who break the rules more accountable for their actions.

Far too often we see in the papers that some teenager has clocked up tens of thousands of dollars in fines only to have them wiped for a few hours of comunity service. What is the lesson learned? - there is no punishment for breaking the rules.

Desperate lack of respect for others and for authority.

Edit: I mean in NZ society generally, not just in respect of road rules.

[skidMark]

"showing off" ???? i ddn't know carver or sidewinder had a younger brother.

anyways it 2:46am...i'm going to bed...if i can be fucked i will write up something long re the finer points of parenting and at what age a youth becomes an adult.

blah fucking blah

**head hits pillow nuh nites!**

[Owl]

Just goes to show where the mother’s priorities lie. Another classic parent hiding from their responsibility! I’m sure if she buries her head in the sand long enough, it will all go away.
Imagine if the guy that grabbed the kid’s backpack, had managed to pull him off his bike. A life would have been saved, yet we would be reading a thread about “that” nasty man.

It’s a funny PC world isn’t it!

[Danger]

Imagine if the guy that grabbed the kid’s backpack, had managed to pull him off his bike. A life would have been saved, yet we would be reading a thread about “that” nasty man.

He probably would have ended up with a punch on the nose from the kids dad, or been hassled with abuse for the rest of his holidays by the kids family. Most people just want to stay out of trouble, the resulting backlash from taking a stand is just not worth it because the police will offer no back up to responsible citizens in incidents like this.

[Deano]

He probably would have ended up with a punch on the nose from the kids dad, or been hassled with abuse for the rest of his holidays by the kids family. Most people just want to stay out of trouble, the resulting backlash from taking a stand is just not worth it because the police will offer no back up to responsible citizens in incidents like this.

The cops can't be everywhere - and are not much help after the fact anyway - someone is still dead.

A group of like minded concerned individuals DO HAVE THE ABILITY to step in and take action, without any comeback on them from the Police.

Reasonable action taken by several people is perfectly acceptable.

Unfortunately, getting said group to act is not easy - they are always standing back waiting for someone else to step in.

No sense of community these days. Why does society still tolerate gangs ? Bring on the lynch mob and run em out of town.

[Owl]

He probably would have ended up with a punch on the nose from the kids dad, or been hassled with abuse for the rest of his holidays by the kids family. Most people just want to stay out of trouble, the resulting backlash from taking a stand is just not worth it because the police will offer no back up to responsible citizens in incidents like this.

I totally agree Danger!

[Fatjim]

The cops can't be everywhere - and are not much help after the fact anyway - someone is still dead.

A group of like minded concerned individuals DO HAVE THE ABILITY to step in and take action, without any comeback on them from the Police.

Reasonable action taken by several people is perfectly acceptable.

Unfortunately, getting said group to act is not easy - they are always standing back waiting for someone else to step in.

No sense of community these days. Why does society still tolerate gangs ? Bring on the lynch mob and run em out of town.

Spot on, my point exactly.

And Highlander/RWH, Can't you spot a p/t without a "p/t"

[rwh]

And Highlander/RWH, Can't you spot a p/t without a "p/t"

I did wonder, but it can be hard to figure out sometimes. And anyway, it gave me a good lead-in - thanks

Richard

[Katoomer]

Just another needless accident that with some common sense by the boy [B]and his parent (s) should never have happened.[B]I may not be the perfect parent but if any of my kids were doing what this one was the bike would be gone. Times are a changing. This sort of stuff is happening more and more.I hear of close calls down our way of bikes riding all directions down public trails having near misses ,loud bikes riding close to built up areas by a minority that are giving us honest riders a bad name. Its killing our sport.

[justsomeguy]

You mean following this incident they are going to penalise any of us trying to ride a bike fast at night with no lights on????

You guys make me laugh.

So you ride a bike and so do these fools - what's the connection? Riding a bike isn't that big a deal mate. Most criminals wear shoes, they aren't giving the rest of us who wear shoes a bad name now are they?

It is sad that these girls had to go through this. The fact that "the criminal" rode a bike is another topic.

[telliman]

You mean following this incident they are going to penalise any of us trying to ride a bike fast at night with no lights on????

You guys make me laugh.

So you ride a bike and so do these fools - what's the connection? Riding a bike isn't that big a deal mate. Most criminals wear shoes, they aren't giving the rest of us who wear shoes a bad name now are they?

It is sad that these girls had to go through this. The fact that "the criminal" rode a bike is another topic.

fuck off dickhead!!!

[Katoomer]

Well said . Probably the only result from this is that other this kid and those who know him may actually think next time before doing something stupid on a bike.

[Katoomer]

Probably the only result from this is that other this kid and those who know him may actually think next time before doing something stupid on a bike.