Speeding

A LOVING couple who inspired friends with their closeness and fun-loving natures were the innocent victims of a horror car smash that followed a police pursuit in Hervey Bay.

Peter and Nicole Ash, aged 45 and 43, were killed instantly on Friday night when a speeding vehicle, trying to evade police, struck their car from behind, causing it to roll. The accident, 300km north of Brisbane, took the Queensland year's road toll to 177. The childhood sweethearts have two grown-up children aged 20 and 21, who were being notified of the tragedy by police last night. The couple were travelling east along Charlton Esplanade in their Festiva sedan at 11.20pm when a silver Magna hit them from behind at an estimated 140km/h. The driver who allegedly crashed into the couple was yesterday charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death. Samuel Frederick Bonner, 22, appeared in the Hervey Bay Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody. Further charges are expected to be laid. It is understood Mr Bonner allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of .079 at the roadside and was unlicensed.

This is yet again another tragic event which is becoming more and more the norm.

The reason why I have brought it up is that the usual government response to this is to put in speed cameras to slow us down, because speeding was a major factor. Perhaps they should reduce the speed limit to 40 Km/h there as it is now a black spot , that should help. Perhaps we should increase the fines for speeding and drink driving and unlicensed driving, what a corker of an idea.

If nothing else it will fill the coffers.

I feel that the problem is that nobody is responsible any more. Speed kill, drink driving kills, even unlicensed driving kills. Wrong, people kill. Samuel Frederick Bonner is the killer, and it is up to him to answer for his crimes, not the rest of society through knee jerk revenue raising. MOTORISTS have been plundered for revenue by the State Government with new figures showing fines to drivers nearly tripling to a colossal $312 million in just six years. But ther has been a 5% drop in fatalities in NSW over the past 6 years so the transport minister claims vindication.

By my calculations, if a 300% increase in revenue equates to 5% less victims, then a 6000% increase would save all of the victims.

What are we waiting for.

Oh thats right, only save victims from the people who obey the laws and pay the fines , unlike our good mate Sam who was driving without a license and drunk.

It is interesting that Eric Roozendaal, the transport minister does not recognize any of the other reasons that may have helped the road toll over the last 6 years, One might ask to what degree such things as, the reduction of black spots on the Pacific Highway through the increase of dual carriageways, which has reduced deaths on the Pacific by 30 %. Perhaps the fact that airbags are now mandatory and as older cars come off the road, nearly all cars have them. Perhaps the fact that cars are getting safer, many are now equipped with anti lock brakes, active stability control, traction control and seatbelt pretensioners.

I don't for one second claim to have all of the answers, but we can't save everybody. There are arseholes out there who won't obey the laws, no matter what the fine, boys under 25 will always have too much testosterone, roads will always get wet and governments will never spend all of the road taxes on fixing the roads.

The one thing that I do know, is that this government won't rest until every car has a GPS unit that can deduct fines from your bank account every time you hit 51kph.

They have to go.

Visa Debit Card

Use your Visa Debit card instead of cash to pay for your everyday purchases – whether you are shopping at the grocery store, dining at a restaurant, filling your car with petrol, surfing the internet or buying the perfect gift on your travels. You can also use it to withdraw cash from ATMs around the world.


BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Q. When do you really need a credit card instead of a debit card.

A. When you book into a hotel

Hotels often freeze credit on your credit card for crap such as mini bar etc, even if your room is prepaid. They like to hold a couple of grand. Perhaps you may be rock stars who like to throw TV's out the window (like Aerosmith who took extra long extension cords to hotels because TV's should only hit the ground while they are turned on). Unfortunately Hotels can't freeze your bank account through Visa, so be prepared to have to use your Visa card in an ATM and pull out a couple of grand cash, and loose 7% on the international Visa transaction to pay for a deposit to book in.

Thanks Visa

Pricks.

Taggers

I once had mixed feelings about graffiti. If it was clever or funny, denoted social commentary and did not deface private property, I once turned a blind eye.

No longer. I have spent much time in Singapore in the last few years, and although there are many things about Singaporean society I am glad we haven't adopted, I do like the fact that there is no graffiti or tagging there in there ultra clean muggy sterile if not boring and lacking in inspiration utopia.

After having the wall of my house and door of my garage "tagged" last night, my gut reaction would be to reintroduce capital punishment. My rant then took me to amputation, then flogging such as in Singapore and Saudi, then to seven years in prison, as is being contemplated by the Italian government to the biggest punch in the head that I could muster.

After kicking the dog, yelling at the family and removing the graffiti , and epidermis and dermis from my hands, I wondered what would be an appropriate punishment.

I came to the conclusion that the penalty should depend on age. An adult should know better, so a $5000 dollar fine, and 2 years of Saturdays doing community service of cleaning graffiti and repainting for those who request it.

A minor may not have these funds, so they would get 2 years to pay. On top of this, they get the community service and although I do not believe in curfews, these kids shouldn't be out late any way, so a 10PM to 6AM bracelet curfew with GPS so as to monitor their movements, and avoid re offense.

Unfortunately, these penalties are not available due to a weak, ineffectual, enfeebled, lily-livered, decrepit, impotent, anile, supine, pissant, and spineless government, so if it happens again and I catch the prick, I will have to contemplate giving him the biggest punch in the head that I can muster.