Proof journalists have tunnel vision.

[Poetic Justice]

For anyone who has a digital pass you could read this ad here:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/...-1226505573485

Originally Posted by Herald Sun

THERE is nothing like an election campaign to get politicians into theatrical stunt mode.
State elections often become bidding wars on crime and there is hardly a state in Australia where our politicians haven't tried to demonstrate their toughness by advocating so-called hoon laws under which ratbag drivers have their cars confiscated and crushed.

Let me qualify that I don't necessarily disagree with hoon laws, because if someone is truly being a ****** about his driving then he probably deserves to be punished. Without serious punishment, no one is going to learn. As a 21 year old I had my car impounded and was fined $600 and 3 demerit points for improper use of a motor vehicle. If it were a simple fine and perhaps demerit points as it was prior to the introduction of hoon laws, I probably wouldn't have been worried about getting done again - but the idea of a 3 month confiscation or losing the car altogether was definitely a turn off.

However, David Penberthy writes in his article and I quote, "One car car club has even suggested that if the hoon laws are introduced the Government should pay to create a special sanctuary where blokes who are a bit light on in the trouser department can get together to drop the clutch with impunity and get their jollies behind the wheel." And to finish off "it's a call that will surely be met with the laughter it deserves".

Now, at 27 years of age I may not be the wisest person around. I still enjoy giving some of the cars I drive stick, but I don't misbehave in any sense more than the average joe blow does (speeding here and there, etc.) But if I were to be back in the position of wanting to own performance orientated cars I am strongly urged not to misbehave out on the open roads.

To put something in to perspective, as teenagers we are told not to drink prior to the age of 18, but for most people everyone has a crack at it from 16 onwards. Some parents choose to take a hard line approach and tell their kids not to drink and that's the end of the story. The end result is that they will do it behind their backs, because they were always going to do it. My parents embraced it, their theory being that if they allowed me to do it in front of them/under their roof they could monitor what I was doing so as to avoid any dramas.

Ergo, when you know that something is an 'epidemic' or something that affects a great amount of our population why would you argue that it is laughable to suggest a place that can, on a safe level especially for innocent bystanders, provide a means for people to enjoy this "genuine scourge in this country" properly?

As an opinion writer, I think this is absolute crap from David Penberthy. If you believe there is a problem in society, the last thing you should do is criticise it, call it names and make a joke of it without providing a real solution.

It's yet another reason why journalism is such a shallow profession. You make stupid calls without actually doing the proper research to present your argument.

[turbodewd]

1. Has anyone ever been injured/killed due to a burnout?
2. I cant stand News Ltd hacks (theyre polarizing and destroying America)
3. Newspapers will shortly go the way of the dodo
4. Our motor regulations are overly strict and complicated.

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by turbodewd

1. Has anyone ever been injured/killed due to a burnout?

Yes - http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...=99&id=2906969
This was an extreme circumstance, but to answer your question YES.

Burnouts can go wrong, cars can grip and fling into anything thats along side them. Do it on a track/area where it's permitted (Calder Park, etc) and you'll damage the car and yourself, and not normally bystanders.

Originally Posted by turbodewd

2. I cant stand News Ltd hacks (theyre polarizing and destroying America)

Thanks to the internet - everyone is now an amateur Journalist. It means that 'real' Journalists have to be either a) Very good at what they do, or b) Controversial to get readers. Perhaps News Ltd goes with a little too much from column b)

Originally Posted by turbodewd

3. Newspapers will shortly go the way of the dodo

Unlikely - similar has been said about Books - but tradition and history will still remain. Sure - they'll be reduced - but extinct? I doubt it.

Originally Posted by turbodewd

4. Our motor regulations are overly strict and complicated.

Maybe, but the amount of uneducated drivers, blatant law breaking drivers, and drivers who don't really care about consequences have made it that way.

Journalists aren't always going to have an opinion that is the same as yours, or the same as the majority of readers.

Sure - sometimes they are down right stupid... But stupidity exists, and stupid people can have impacts on your life (IE: Compulsory Voting at Election time) so its just a fact of life.

The problem is - that the people that control the decisions on our laws/rules are not from 'the street' anymore. They don't understand what happens on the ground. They don't speak the language - Nor do they understand the culture. This applies to anything that the Current/Past/Future Governments have control over.... Immigration... Education... Road Laws... Etc Etc....

Do your best to play by the rules, and enjoy your life within them....
Don't complain when you've broken them for your own stubborn reasons....

(Last part - not aimed at you - just a general rant.... )

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by loftie

Maybe, but the amount of uneducated drivers, blatant law breaking drivers, and drivers who don't really care about consequences have made it that way.

Journalists aren't always going to have an opinion that is the same as yours, or the same as the majority of readers.

Sure - sometimes they are down right stupid... But stupidity exists, and stupid people can have impacts on your life (IE: Compulsory Voting at Election time) so its just a fact of life.

The problem is - that the people that control the decisions on our laws/rules are not from 'the street' anymore. They don't understand what happens on the ground. They don't speak the language - Nor do they understand the culture. This applies to anything that the Current/Past/Future Governments have control over.... Immigration... Education... Road Laws... Etc Etc....

Do your best to play by the rules, and enjoy your life within them....
Don't complain when you've broken them for your own stubborn reasons....

(Last part - not aimed at you - just a general rant.... )

This isn't a discusison about 'do the crime, do the time' though. It was more that someone is pointing out a problem, and yet when a solution is posed by the enthusiasts it is brushed off as "something that will be laughed at".

It's clear to see that education and providing a medium to "use" cars is required here and anything short of it will not ever stop it from happening.

[Fiesta_Man69]

David Penberthy isn't a journalist. The swear blocker prevents me from saying what he is. Anything he writes should be, at best, used as fish and chips wrapping and no more...

[MAD]

I heard on the radio recently, that a survey showed 98% of people agreed that better driver education was important.

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by SCUD

This isn't a discusison about 'do the crime, do the time' though. It was more that someone is pointing out a problem, and yet when a solution is posed by the enthusiasts it is brushed off as "something that will be laughed at".

It's clear to see that education and providing a medium to "use" cars is required here and anything short of it will not ever stop it from happening.

Perhaps, but the problem is much deeper than building a few 'Government Funded' skidpans in the 'burbs and letting everyone have a go... I'm tipping that even if that happened - what's the likelihood of hooning behavior reducing?? Probably not much...

I think its a generational problem, and a society problem. The simple fact is - a lot (I won't say majority) of young people simply have no respect, no concept of consequence, and no understanding of risks. Why?

Well who knows - the previous generation raised this current generation - what went wrong?

The drug use/dependence these days is horrific - illegal and prescription drugs are more available and relied on every single day... Why?

I don't have all the answers - in fact I probably don't have any.... But I can see so much that I don't like these days and I can't understand how we've got to where we are.

There are WAY bigger issues than Hoons on the road... though I do accept that they create danger on our roads.

Wow - I got off track - but I suppose what I'm getting at.... is Society is broken at the moment, and I don't think that anybody, any group, any government has a CLUE how to even begin fixing it.....

[Agent86]

Originally Posted by loftie

Maybe, but the amount of uneducated drivers, blatant law breaking drivers, and drivers who don't really care about consequences have made it that way.

Whilst i am somewhat in agreeance with the bulkof your thoughts this one stands out as a perfect example of why things are such a drama for the average joe these days.

You cannot legislate common sense, thus its stupidly restrictive for those of us that do not need out hands held.

Further, tell me how laws hinder those who dont care or even dont know of them?

I can more than holdout my end of the debate, but would prefer this post to be a catalyst to open peoples perspective to more of the actual picture of what is happening.

I used to live in an area that had the speed limit on the main access road ( rurual) cut from 100 to 80.
This was a response to 4 vehicular crashes resulting in 5 fatalaties.
ALL were causes primarily by drunk driving, which in turn created excessive speed in inclement weather.

The point here is simply this,

How does lowering the limit deter drunken speeding?
In this instance, and many others going on under the guise of safety, only law obiders are penalised. Tose who do not care, willcontinue on their merry way doing as they please.

Sadly, the whole system, top to bottom, front to back, needs to be started afresh. It is obvious to anyone with a functional brain and a pulse that things are not progressing as they should, being a clear simple functional society.

Inappropriate actions need swift butjust repercussions, whichis not happenening presently.
Either the silent majority stands up, or their continued silence can only be construed as acceptance of the current status quo

[RedHotGT]

Originally Posted by Agent86

Sadly, the whole system, top to bottom, front to back, needs to be started afresh. It is obvious to anyone with a functional brain and a pulse that things are not progressing as they should, being a clear simple functional society.

The system probably does need some refreshing.... but I'm more concerned about the reasons WHY people just don't care about anything anymore.

Ignoring laws & blatantly breaking them by taking risks (with life threatening and life changing consequences) is not acceptable - but why are so many doing it?

It goes back to people's lives, and how happy they are within their lives. Do they work too hard? Are they in too much debt? Are they trying to keep up with the Jones's? Are they depressed? Are they okay?

Drug and Alcohol abuse is out of control - it doesn't take a genius to work this out. And whilst I hope that the majority of the population isn't doing illegal drugs (or are they?) there must be a considerable number that are - given the amount of drugs that are being seized, being manufactured, and being delt in our streets and suburbs.

I think as a community we should be doing more about looking after each other. We should also live our lives and enjoy them - instead of working 25 hours a day just to survive.

But - I understand that the above isn't for anyone. I'll take my time and enjoy my walk of life... and if all those around me are going to fast or are too busy to take it in... they're missing out!

[GTP534]

Originally Posted by loftie

The system probably does need some refreshing.... but I'm more concerned about the reasons WHY people just don't care about anything anymore.

Ignoring laws & blatantly breaking them by taking risks (with life threatening and life changing consequences) is not acceptable - but why are so many doing it?

I think a lot of it has to do with a lack of discipline, both in the home and at school. There is also a lack of respect for others; a lot of people have the attitude that they can do whatever they want, say whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want, because they believe there are no consequences to be suffered.

[graham7773]

GTP534, you took the words straight out of my mouth. The government at every level has legislated discipline out of the hands of parents and failed dismally at putting anything effective in place to take up the slack. I am nearly 70 and I have seen the lack of family discipline produce some of the worst criminal acts in history. The name Cobby comes to mind and that poor woman in Vic recently stand out. I am not saying there were not criminals back when but things seem to be going from bad to horrifically worse. I also have to say that I cannot suggest a solution. Maybe bring back the death penalty without 19 appeals available to keep the bad guys alive for 25 years at taxpayers expense. Not for traffic offences of course.

[Brazen]

The stuff I got away with when I was 27.... 170kmh in XD Falcon on the Sturt Hwy, racing cops in Adelaide when I was 19 in a Charger, racing my drunken Dad from the Pirie races with a car full of my family. And nowadays travelling extensively across Europe, Asia and North America, for me in 2012 Australia has the safest and most boring drivers on the planet. There are 30,000 more important things the Government should be looking at.