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Australia To Fight iPod Use By Pedestrians
Kilrah_il writes "In recent years the number of people killed on roads in New South Wales, Australia has dropped, but strangely enough, the number of pedestrians killed has risen. Some think it's because of the use of iPods and other music players making people not attentive to road dangers (the so-called 'iPod Zombie Trance'). Based on this (unproven) assumption, the Pedestrian Council has started a campaign in an effort to educate the people, but apparently it isn't enough. Now, some are pushing for the government to enact laws to help eradicate the problem. 'The government is quite happy to legislate that people can lose two demerit points for having music up too loud in their cars, but is apparently unconcerned that listening devices now appear to have become lethal pieces of entertainment,' [Harold Scruby of the Pedestrian Council of Australia] said. 'They should legislate appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare and that of others. ... Manufacturers should be made to [warn] consumers of the risks they run.'"
Having music devices around isn't the problem. Stupid overprotective mollycoddling laws are the problem. What you're probably seeing is the result of lowering the speed limit to 40km/hr around school zones while cutting back on educating kids about the danger of cars. The number of kids who should be old enough - in late highschool - to behave at least somewhat sensibly and look both ways, but instead blindly walk out in front of oncoming traffic because they know they won't be blamed if they or someone else is hurt is mind boggling. It is now way too RARE to see kids actually look both ways crossing a road.
This is just a prime example of how badly the Australian political system has gone off the rails. In Australia we're happy to throw away freedoms left right and center, and if anyone else is doing well or having fun, we like to put a stop to it. It's sad, because I've lived here all my life and while there was always an element of Tall Poppy Syndrome here it has gotten WAY out of hand. This country use to be a lovely place. In polite company manners counted. Now if you catch an (overcrowded hellish) Sydney train you're lucky not to get shoved out of the way or sworn at.
We don't need new laws. We need enforcement of the existing laws. There is already a law in NSW against pedestrians walking out in front of a car. My cousin while 12 was almost charged because he blindly stumbled out from behind a bus and was hit. I'm in 2 minds about this. On the one hand at least the driver wasn't penalised when he could have done nothing to prevent the accident. On the other, do you really think it is a good idea to charge the victim of an accident, who may have been mamed by it? Or penalise the parent who now has to look after a sick child? Is that really what a stretched police force should be out doing? And these are already existing laws. Do we really need more of the same? The "Pedestrian Council of Australia" needs to have it's head read. I can just see it now "Were you wearing headphones when you were hit ma'am?" "Ah yes but I..." "No buts ma'am. I'm afraid we're going to have to place you under arrest".
IDIOTS.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
It's largely because all the news is bullshit. Australia does not have an internet filter. Nothing is happening in regards to this story Somebody making a noise about something, even if that person is a politician in government, is not the same as them actually doing something.
The fact that Australia has politicians who are even willing to test the waters by floating such ideas says a lot by itself. It's how they wet their finger to feel which way the wind is blowing. If the idea shows support they run with it. If not, they distance themselves from it and the impression they leave is the one you express there.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
If you ride a bike on a shared footpath in Victoria you are required to warn pedestrians before you approach them. You can do this with a bell or a verbal warning. But the vast majority of pedestrians wear earphones.
So whats the point requiring a warning if it is not going to be heard? The only problem I have with the proposed changes is that it won't be applied to the drivers of vehicles too. Headphones and telephone use should be outlawed entirely.
As a bike rider I don't want distracted pedestrians stepping into my path. Thats as dangerous for me as it is for them.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Go read aggregated local news anywhere in the US. Make sure you pay attention to actions by school boards.
The world has no lack of abject morons, sanctimonious hypocrites, lawsuit-happy soccer moms, and pointy-haired bosses. And it's nothing new.
How about people who are deaf like me? Will we get written up for walking around in a dangerous fashion and relying only upon our eyes to stay alive on the streets?
Shit man, if we're not careful people may even have to start paying attention when dealing with potentially dangerous situations. That'd be a real bummer, as it would waste a little precious time that could be spent on texting, music, and games. Thank God people have their priorities straight!
It's also a great thing that laws could be made to sort this out. That would work like a charm, of course. It's only natural that people don't care if poor decision-making gets them killed, but they'll wise up really quick when it might get them fined.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
Yup - and guess what? It'll be a politician.
The best thing we ever did in .au was get rid of most semi automatic guns.
It seems only the US has the bizarro love of the gun.
I have lived here for 40 years and have not even once felt the need to own a gun, and have never even seen one in the hands of a private citizen on the streets. As they are extremely rare, only the worst criminals carry them, and usually only use them on other criminals-shootings involving innocents are virtually unknown. Possesion is treated very seriously.
To quote Yes Minister.
"We are not entirely convinced having loads of armed people on the streets make anyone safer".
No, it hasn't.
Slashdot constantly keeps reporting about every little stupid idea that any Australian politician, local council member, random uninfluential lobby group or guy off the street comes up with. And reports it as if it were a) a done deal; or b) imminent and unavoidable. See also: mandatory Internet filter (Slashdot ~seems~ to think we have one, or that one is coming Real Soon Now. It's not. The proposal is essentially dead and buried).
Some random person's ideas/proposals for new 'facist' laws does not mean those laws exist, or will ever exist.
Most Slashdot headlines about countries outside the US are poorly researched, inflammatory, and in many cases, completely wrong. (This is probably also true about many headlines concerning the US too!)
And therefore one of the most powerful and influential people in a modern democracy.
May the Maths Be with you!
I have some British ancestry. Feel free to tell me I drink too much tea, my wife's hideous, and I'm probably a repressed homosexual. Our chief Empire export was hypocrisy.
I have some Spanish ancestry. We're a bunch of sadistic bullfighters, overly macho (or balls-chopped feminist, depending on how recently you visited Spain), horribly greasy and... oh, it's too hot, the rest of the sentence can wait 'til tomorrow.
Casual racism/nationalism/whatever sometimes has elements of truth, and just as often conceals another truth or still relevant historical nugget: maybe some of your country's authoritarianism does come from its penal history? maybe USA/Puritanism similar? For both reasons, don't try too hard to oppress it. Even when the denigration (omg is that like apartheid?) has no basis, you are probably going to get by better tolerating a certain amount of teasing or engaging in proud word appropriation, as the whole world won't change for you - at least not when you're not looking. It's better if they say the same thing in good humour to your face than bitterly behind your back.
tl;dr Solve problems in the current world, not an idealised version.
They should legislate appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare
Everything that's wrong about nanny state in one sentence.
Ever bought a cigarette or alcohol?
You've paid "appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare" in the form of taxes.
Ever see a home that's so run down it gets condemned?
That's "appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare."
I could go on and on, but I hope you get the point.
Society has many laws designed specifically to 'nanny' people for either their individual or the public good.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!