Thread: Bureaucracy. Is Australia the World's Worst?

Can we keep to reality please and stop pruning the tree.

Originally Posted by DavidG

Can we keep to reality please and stop pruning the tree.

Rodney Allebach - So fascinating to see how trees are made.

I am a weird animal. While I'm 77 today, I grew up in post WWII New York city. For the first two years of school, I rode a school bus to and from school. For the third year I had to walk t/f school. From September through Christmas my mother walked with me to and from school. During that time I was taught how to cross streets. (Disclaimer: The method probably works today in New York city but not definitely not elsewhere.)

Go to the center of the block. Step into the space between two parked cars, peer toward the direction that traffic would be coming. If no traffic is coming, rush out and stand on the center line dividing the traffic. Look toward the direction that traffic would be coming. If no traffic is coming, rush to the other side of the street.

The reason that it works is that vehicles rarely reach the speed limit of 25 MPH and typically are going barely 15 MPH. In the Los Angeles metro area, this method would not work as most vehicles are travelling around 10 MPH over the speed limit. Most major streets in the Los Angeles area have speed limits of 45 MPH. I tried the using the method in the Los Angeles metro area and discovered that it is terrifying.

Let me hit on the main topic here.

You have to be sympathetic for the bureaucratic workers. Please understand that they need food for the table, money for the mortgage and car payments. They absolutely hate their jobs and are only doing them for the money.

I have sympathy because I've had jobs that I only did for the money. Believe me when I say that when you are working only for the money, the job is absolutely H***.

Originally Posted by rrich

Go to the center of the block. Step into the space between two parked cars, peer toward the direction that traffic would be coming. If no traffic is coming, rush out and stand on the center line dividing the traffic. Look toward the direction that traffic would be coming. If no traffic is coming, rush to the other side of the street.

In Melbourne you would be hit by a tram or a d!c#head on a bike.

Originally Posted by doug3030

In Melbourne you would be hit by a tram or a d!c#head on a bike.

From the age of about 5 I walked to school with my dad, by age 9 I was making my own way; it was a 20-25 min walk, mostly side streets with a moderately busy 2-lane road to cross as well (without a pedestrian crossing). In year 12 I cycled to and from school, about 8km straight up St Kilda Rd, and for 3 years after that 8km to and from work down Nepean Hwy and South Rd. Not once was I hit by anyone because I was taught how to properly deal with traffic.

Pay attention to what's happening around you and you're quite unlikely to get hit. Simple as that.

In Melbourne you would be hit by a tram or a d!c#head on a bike.

No, you would be the dickhead for trying to cross like that.

Originally Posted by AlexS

No, you would be the dickhead for trying to cross like that.

Pretty much the point I was making

Originally Posted by AlexS

No, you would be the dickhead for trying to cross like that.

In Rome I was shown the way to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.

1. Take a deep breath and step out into what appears to be a non stop stream of traffic.
2. Keep walking.
3. The traffic will magically part around you.
4. Do not lose your nerve and falter/stop half way, the traffic will not guess where you are going next and will blast you with at least a horn or you'll get run over by a Vespa.

Local knowledge is valuable. When driving in Queensland do not stop for yellow lights at an intersection (or the first few seconds of red), somebody will run up the back of you.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

In Rome I was shown the way to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.

1. Take a deep breath and step out into what appears to be a non stop stream of traffic.
2. Keep walking.
3. The traffic will magically part around you. Being from Brooklyn, NY I understand but it is terrifying.
4. Do not lose your nerve and falter/stop half way, the traffic will not guess where you are going next and will blast you with at least a horn or you'll get run over by a Vespa.

Local knowledge is valuable. When driving in Queensland do not stop for yellow lights at an intersection (or the first few seconds of red), somebody will run up the back of you.

There is a quote from "Star Man" Red means stop, Green means go, Yellow means go very, very fast.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

In Rome I was shown the way to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.

1. Take a deep breath and step out into what appears to be a non stop stream of traffic.
2. Keep walking.
3. The traffic will magically part around you. Being from Brooklyn, NY I understand but it is terrifying.
4. Do not lose your nerve and falter/stop half way, the traffic will not guess where you are going next and will blast you with at least a horn or you'll get run over by a Vespa.

Local knowledge is valuable. When driving in Queensland do not stop for yellow lights at an intersection (or the first few seconds of red), somebody will run up the back of you.

There is a quote from "Star Man" Red means stop, Green means go, Yellow means go very, very fast.

In Phoenix, Arizona during 'Snow Bird' season, when the light turns green, take a deep breath, swiggle about to scratch your back, count to 5 and then drive into the intersection.

(Seasons are reversed. Snow Birds escape the winter from about mid November until mid April. Driving in Phoenix is H*** during that time.)

In Phoenix, Arizona during 'Snow Bird' season, when the light turns green, take a deep breath, swiggle about to scratch your back, count to 5 and then drive into the intersection.

Sounds like Adelaide. And when the light goes red, drive through carefully, waving politely to those at the green light, scratching their backs.

Try that in Sydney and either the car behind will push you through the green light, or you'll be T-boned as you go through the red.

Myself and a couple of buddies hired a trio of Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles and rode across Tamal Nadu and Kerrala in India. Before we’d got more than a couple of kays it was clearly apparent that all traffic lights, road signs and directions from traffic cops were merely suggestions.

I have a Sri Lankan friend who is a very good driver. She reckons that when she visits Sri Lanka it takes her three days to start driving like a Sri Lankan, and another three days when she comes back to drive like an Australian again.