Is 6 months all a biker's life is worth? In the news today!

[Katman]

Unattractive thought or not, have you considered that, motorcyclist or not, your life actually is worthless.

I'd be more inclined to use the word priceless.

[dpex]

...New Zealanders are all too keen to toss people inside for anything they can think of, and, under Key I see the "hang em high" and "throw away the key" brigade are now at full steam ahead! Guess he needs more contracts for construction firms to build more prisons.....

I say again, even premeditated criminal actions are rarely modified by any prospect of lawful sanction. And so 'accidental' actions which result in harm to another are even further away from the day-to-day reality of ordinary folk.

Other than for suicide cases, it's fair to assert that nobody goes out of their way to become involved in a crash. So what are the causes? Lack of concentration, skill, experience, tolerance, perception, understanding? The list goes on. Then factor in stress, prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, booze, tiredness, eyesight issues...that list goes on.

But, at the end of the day, personal responsibility for each and every action we take must determine the outcome of our tomorrows.

To lose a loved-one, even to natural causes, is often devastating to those left alive. To lose one as a result of what is deemed to be a senseless act is often beyond description in terms of the pain suffered by family and friends.

The very natural reaction of most, when confronted with a senseless loss of any sort, is revenge.

Someone steals your bike. First rage flows. Then dark thoughts about what you'll do to the fucker if ever you find him, follow. Revenge is a human response as natural as needing to piss.

I cannot imagine there being one person on this site who hasn't, at some time past, had a close shave and thought, "Jesus, and that was my fault".

Thus from close-shave to full impact resolves the term, "But there for the grace of God go I."

Some, at fault, who cause a major will forever justify their position and simply refuse to accept responsibility. Others will be devastated for life.

No amount of harsher and harsher penalty, no amount of 'ejacashun' will eliminate vehicular collisions. They will remain a fact of life till some bright bugger invents something which reduces collision damage to zero.

But who are the victims? In all cases it is the bereaved. In many cases it is also the causer.

If the dead girl's parents and family could be sufficiently satisfied that the causer was suffering as much as they, then would they want a harsh sentence? Probably not because they would see natural justice unfolding.

But the causer in this instance fought hard for absolution before being (probably) advised by her brief to fess and look as contrite as possible.

That is the act of one who is suffering only from a fear of penalty, not from accepting she took the life of another and trashed another family in the process.

But how does one identify one type from the other?

The entire matter of 'justice' is as vexing now as it was in the days of Plato.

I think this would be a good time to let this one go, J, and just get on, lest it should start eating your soul.

[riffer]

James' point is absolutely valid.

The problem is, he's asking the wrong people.

Start with this guy:

* Minister of Transport
* Minister for Communications and Information Technology
* Associate Minister of Finance
* Associate Minister for Infrastructure
Email: steven.joyce@national.org.nz
Phone: (04)TBA (Parliament)
Phone: (04)8947026 (Electorate)

As the new Minister of Transport the buck now stops with him.

Also, try (Minister of ACC):

Email: nick.smith@national.org.nz
Website: www.nick4nelson.co.nz
Phone: (04)4719291 (Parliament)
Phone: (03)5472314 (Electorate)

[dpex]

I'd be more inclined to use the word priceless.

At long last we agree on something. Your life is priceless. I cannot think of any currency which is sufficiently divisible to have just one part of it to describe your value.

Perhaps there is, somewhere out there, a culture which trades value for value using used toilet paper as currency. If such were the case, then your worth would be measured as one square milimetre of dung-covered paper.

[jrandom]

... two of her classmates (from 25 years ago) have been jailed for manslaughter.

Interesting.

I guess there could be some substance to the idea that the banality of death on the road has led to it being treated overly-lightly by the judiciary. Stiff sentences are available, but they don't seem to get handed out, do they?

How do you know how I voted? Why do people leap to conclusions based on Internet posts?

I don't know how you voted, but your tenor in the election discussions was anti-National.

Not that I'm a National voter myself. Just, y'know, just sayin'. A vote, direct or tactical, for a National gubmint in the last election was the only way of moving toward less lenient sentencing overall.

[MSTRS:Me]

Unattractive thought or not, have you considered that, motorcyclist or not, your life actually is worthless.

I read somewhere (doing cheesecutter research) that a road death costs the country somewhere in the nature of $3.4M.

[James Deuce]

Unattractive thought or not, have you considered that, motorcyclist or not, your life actually is worthless.

I know it to be so.

[MSTRS:Me]

I know it to be so.

Those that know and love us don't think so...

[James Deuce]

Yes, but they'll get by without us. We're not entirely indispensable.

[James Deuce]

I read somewhere (doing cheesecutter research) that a road death costs the country somewhere in the nature of $3.4M.

It's an average based on pretty arbitrary figures like remaining years as a taxpayer, debts, and potential increases in earnings based on the national average wage.

[James Deuce]

I don't know how you voted, but your tenor in the election discussions was anti-National.

No it wasn't, it was pro Labour's social policy in regard to disabled children.

[jrandom]

No it wasn't, it was pro Labour's social policy in regard to disabled children.

No, it was anti National's social policy in regard to disabled children. A subtle but meaningful difference.

[jrandom]

Yes, but they'll get by without us.

Fuck them, I won't get by without me.

[Animal]

The general standard of driving skills in NZ is VERY low

No worse than in Western Austruckingfailia. There are no shortage of brain-dead morons behind wheels out here either. Not that it makes it okay.

[Timber020]

Look at the guy who ignored instructions, drank, doped and drowned his 2 kids in a boat he shouldnt have been in charge of.

Didnt he only get community service?