🚀 go-pugleaf

"Motorists Advocate J.H.P" <jpkt@wxc.com.au> wrote in message
news:96evkv$88u$1@perki.connect.com.au...
>
> "sanjian"
>
> > > This is a 'very' common feeling throughout the western world, happens
at a
> > > time of globalization, does this surprise you?  I would guess not.
> >
> > Globalization is part of the problem.  The average American (especially
in
> > the south) is about as eager to be Europeanized as the average European
is
> > to be Americanized.  Don't try to tell me France and Greece are rushing
> > forward to embrace America (in Greece, many pubs have signs on the door
> > stating that Americans are not served).
>
> Your Greek example does not surprise me.  On Australia's 60 Minutes
program
> last night, was the story of the concern about the 'lack' of Greek
> preparation for the 2004 Olympics.  At one point the coverage shows a
> demonstration of stomping leftist militants locked arm to arm carrying
anti
> American banners with the swastika emblazoned over the U.S flag.  Loud and
> forceful.
>
> Of interest was that the demonstrations included a few military personnel,
> navy, army and air force uniforms.  Now that is an interesting view.  I
> would have thought military personnel would have been subject to 'service'
> rules forbidding them from public demonstrations.

You would be right.  Chances are, those were not actual U.S. servicemen, or
if they were, they've been awarded 60 days restriction, 60 days extra
duties, forfeiture of half pay for two months, reduction in rate, and a Bad
Conduct Discharge.  When we pulled into Crete, there was a mandatory
briefing for every crew member that went over stuff like that.  And yes, we
were protested all three days we were in port.  Fortunatly Xania police and
shore patrol kept things under control.

> Security will be an issue.  The program announced a Greek government
> expenditure of  A$1billion on security for the games, video surveillance
and
> so on.
>
> Funny place Greece, seems to have a sense of humour!
>
>
>
> > > Arguable sure, what about merely posting the "keep right unless
passing"
> > > signs as an 'advisory'?  Some countries do this for a few years and if
> > > deemeed necessary later back it up with legislation.  This methology
> > relies
> > > on the goodwill and commonsense of drivers.
> >
> > The question is, should it have the force of law?  If some drivers
aren't
> > maintianing good "lane discipline", is that a severe problem, requiring
> > legislation?
>
> How bout the signs posted as an advisory then?

Assuming that there are benefits to the "keep right" system, then that would
be best.  Remember, many of today's younger drivers have never heard of such
a concept.  It simply isn't the driving paradigm in America.

> > It's hard to judge whether or not it works.  I could say that the
> > requirement to wear seat belts has worked to prevent accidents, since
> there
> > are fewer than ten majore pile ups in Hampton Roads per day, but that
> really
> > doesn't say anything.
>
> Seat belts do not in most circumstances prevent crashes and are not the
> cause of them, but reduce injury or death when they do occur.

Right.  In this case, there is not a clear correlation between the cause and
the effect, even though I could try to draw one.

> > > (Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, BTW)
> > >
> > > I am a foreigner, however I know this sir.  In fact I was taught this
> when
> > > attending Primary school in a country called Papua New Guinea of all
> > places,
> > > just north of Australia, not far from the Solomon Islands where
> thousands
> > of
> > > US service personnel lost their lives fighting the Japanese in various
> > > bloody campaigns back in WWII.
> >
> > ^^;;;;  Why would they teach the capitals of the states?  I mean, I can
> see
> > the capital of the U.S., but each state?  Unless you're actually in an
> > American school, it seems a bit odd.
>
> They show a detailed series of maps, texbooks and we studied them
carefully.
> It is a known fact that here in Australia most kids, and adults of course,
> can name the first US president, yet not our own first Prime Minster, this
> sort of thing is reflected throughout parts of the world, where I guess
the
> idea is to know your trading partners, - well.

I think half of our school kids couldn't name the current President.

> This year we have television commercials showing just who WAS our first
> Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton.  It is out year of Federation.  Bit of
a
> worry this eh?
>
> The schooling system in Papua New Guniea at that point was based on the
New
> South Wales (Australia) system.
>
>
> > > The 'keep right unless passing' laws would only be enforced during
light
> > to
> > > moderate traffic conditions, this is what happens everywhere else.  No
> one
> > > has been fined for keeping left during times of traffic congestion,
this
> > > would be lunacy.
> >
> > I see no provision for that in the bill as drafted.
>
> Perhaps it should be spelled out then, or re-worded to reflect that safety
> net?

Indeed.  You get a cop short of his quota, near the end of the month/
quarter, and you see how he starts interpreting that law.

> > > This in fact is perhaps a devious form of speed control, you
accelerate
> > > between lengths of vehicles as opposed to flying past them at speed in
> the
> > > adjacent lane.  A clever German speed managment method.
> >
> > If you think it's better to accelerate between vehicles, as opposed to
> > maintaining a higher steady speed.  I don't.
>
> I mean where the space between those length of vehicles runs for a
distance.
> Sure, the practical application is that one can and does maintain a high
> steady speed in any case, I perhaps had not made this clear.

This brings up my point about lane discipline.

-  it doesn't apply for heavy traffic (by your own admission)
-  it's value (if there to begin with) declines to zero as traffic
decreases.  Ie, if I was the only one on the road, who would care what lane
I was in?

> > > Any future U.S freeway projects with left (was right) lane exits must
be
> prevented
> > from
> > > being constructed until plans are upgraded to right lane exits.
> >
> > Did that come out right?
>
> No:-)  Corrected.

Unfortunatly, that won't happen.  Somewhere out there, some city has
planners who's I.Q. resembles the HP of a lawnmower.  For the most part,
though, left exists aren't being constructed.

> > Again, I see the benefits as dubious.  Anyways, the greater good be
> damned.
> > There's a reason we leave decisions up to the most local government we
> can.
> > They're the ones who can best judge whether or not the law is
appropriate
> to
> > their area.
>
> A common thought even here with local council issues.
>
>
> > There's also the lingering American sentiment against new laws (at
least,
> in
> > the older generation, the younger crowd is just as willing to sell their
> > freedom as the Europeans).  If we're going to put restrictions on
people,
> > then there better be a danged good reason.  I don't see the benefits of
> your
> > "lane discipline" as being all that great.
>
> The healthy scepticism.
>
> > Instead of herding competent drivers like single file sheep, we need to
> take
> > care of people like the one driver I was behind, who couldn't decide on
a
> > lane, so he just took both.  *That's* the type of lane discipline we
need.
>
> Gotta love that one!!

{nod}  No matter what your personal philosophies on driving may be, a little
bit of common sense on the drivers' parts would greatly improve things.

--

sanjian@wido(you know the drill)maker.com
http://www.widomaker.com/~sanjian
President P.A.C.  Order of the Mallet
----------------------------------------------------------

Smile -- Ruka
Rythem -- Corvette
Dignaty -- Extra
Guts --  Layla
Tomadachi -- Parapu
Kokoro -- Shion
Believe in yourself -- Yuri