Sad times

[FJRider]

Today we mourn the passing of a well known, but often misunderstood, old friend. His name...COMMON SENSE !!! He has been with us for many years. Nobody knows for sure how long, as his personal records were lost long ago, in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons, such as getting off your bike AFTER you stop. NOT BEFORE. And speed doesn't kill...stupid mistakes DO !!!
Common sense lived by simple, but sound, financial policies (DONT spend more than YOU earn). And reliable parenting strategies (ADULTS, not children in charge)
His health deteriorated rapidly, when well intentioned, but overbearing regulations, were set in place.
Reports of motorcyclists being charged with exceeding the posted speed limit (115 kmh in a 100 kmh zone) on the basis of...the faster you go, the bigger the mess and ACC policy of including ALL accidents involving motorcycles (2 or 4 wheels, registered or UNregistered) be included in "motorcyle accident" statistics. But add ACC levys to where they KNOW they will be paid (REGISTRATION OF LICENSED MOTORCYCLES) worsened his condition.
It declined even further, when MOTORCYCLE buyers were restricted to limited engine capacity on a learners / restricted license, but CAR buyers have UNLIMITED horsepower allowed, with only restricted HOURS of use. Three months in the slammer gets $20,000 fines wiped, but 100 kmh in a 50 kmh zone (with only the cop and a stray cat for company) and you're walking for (at least) three months. Innocent 'till PROVEN guilty in a court of law, got replaced with, in the WRONG place at the WRONG time.
Common sense FINALLY gave up the will to live, after a long hot summer, an increase of "gravel rash" injurys due to it being TO HOT to wear full riding clobber. Shorts, T.shirt sandals are cool at highway speeds.(I'm too good a rider to have an off, and I'm not going that far) ACC's no fault policy (no matter who is / was at fault in the "accident",THEY STILL GIVE YOU MONEY) did not help matters at all. Responsibility for your own actions WAS Common sense's basic instinct.
Common sense was PRECEEDED in death, by his parents TRUTH and TRUST. His wife DESCRETION, his son REASON and his daughter HONESTY.
He is survived by his three brothers, I KNOW MY RIGHTS, I'M A WINGER, and I'M A VICTIM.
Not many attended his funeral, as so few realised he was gone.
IF YOU REMEMBER HIM, pass thiss on. IF NOT...join the majority AND DO NOTHING.

[Owl]

Sounds like a whinge to me. Common sense starts with oneself, not others. It can’t die as long as I demonstrate it! Perhaps you’re looking in the wrong places to find it?

[awayatc]

NZ has been in labour for so long ....that the resulting baby is indeed frighteningly deformed

[Hitcher]

Unfortunately "common sense" is rarely common.

[Weaver]

Unfortunately "common sense" is rarely common.

Common sense isn't

[James Deuce]

Good grief. This piece of drivel is as old as email.

Repost x 10^12

[mowgli]

Good grief. This piece of drivel is as old as email.

Repost x 10^12

Yup. Mistakes and all. Perhaps Common Sense was rarely found in schools

[Cibby]

Yup. Mistakes and all. Perhaps Common Sense was rarely found in schools

seriously, it is a really good post, and it is so true, i've never seen it before so i'm glad it was posted.

I look forward to the time where 'i'm a victim and this is someone elses fault' is totally overrated and everyone starts being tough cunts again.

[caseye]

Good post there FJRider, Common Sense has died, along with backbone injections and meaning what you say.
Time we stood for what we believed in and to hell with the consequences, time we felt safe enough to walk our own streets at 23.30 hours without fear of the thugs or cage drivers who may feel like a bit of live entertainement,ie:
swerve to hit the pedestrian,cyclist ,bike rider.
Lately while riding in and around South Auckland I've witnessed a new phenomenon.
People simply driving through RED LIGHTS, usually in pieces of shiet low rding crap or people movers full to the gunnels with thrill seeking locals, hanging out any available orifice yelling abuse at passers by.
Common Sense has determined that from now on I apporach light controlled intersections and even on a green light I count to 100 and 3 before I move off.
Believe me without good old common sense my family and I, wife and 3 girls would already be dead.
On the bike this lot are even more dangereous, first they actually swerve to hit you, soon I'm going to make headlines "car full of local common sense LESS locals punted off road by angry motorcyclist".
Yeah Right!
What to do? complain, na, I say get even, sit at lights with RPG let em have it
in mid intersection, that'd learn their dumb arsed mates.
Unfortunately what I've described happening above has already happened, NO Not the RPG part, yet@#$%
Common Sense says they shouldn't do it, cheap thrill seeking powered by P ,grog and other drugs says it's fun.
LOOK OUT PEOPLE when in Sth AK , this truely does go on.

[Jiminy]

ACC's no fault policy (no matter who is / was at fault in the "accident",THEY STILL GIVE YOU MONEY) did not help matters at all. Responsibility for your own actions WAS Common sense's basic instinct.

That's kind of an insurance thing. We ALL do at least one mistake one day that can have serious consequences (unless you are a superhero, and even superheroes have moments of doubt and weakness when they do mistakes in the middle of the movie). I'm glad to think that ACC will cover me the day I will do that mistake, especially if it's an expensive one. If you want people to pay based on responsibility, ban all insurances.