Posts by Christopher Dempsey
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Hard News: Friday Music: Walking Distance, in reply to Tom Semmens,
get out the dancing girls
Don't forget the dancing boys as well! Nothing better than good house and good dancing boys. The music not so difficult, but a really good dancing boy? Difficult to find. But oh so worth it.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Ross Mason,
Guess driving makes one blind.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,
To add; the video works for females in prompting them to think about breast cancer checks.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to BenWilson,
Nice one. They should do it with him in a hi-viz vest. Then as a super hot, semi-clad woman.
And a super hot semi-clad man. I'd totally miss seeing the woman ('what super hot woman??'), but the man would get my attention every time. Every. Time.
Which is probably why this video works.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Matthew Poole,
intent to cause such serious injury that death was likely and the attacker didn’t care if the victim lived or died.
Isn't this exactly what happens in the case of someone speeding? Undertaking dangerous moves?
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to DexterX,
Speaking personally,
The problem is that our whole discourse surrounding rights, liberties, and privileges is so confused it’s difficult to tell them apart in everyday usage.
I have the liberty to move across this wonderful city/island of ours. I have been granted the privilege to use a motor vehicle in exercising my liberty. I don't have the right to act as I please when using my privilege.
Behind the wheel of a car your lack of consideration can kill someone – don’t be an inconsiderate bastard; trouble yourself to look out for others.
The root problem really. Cars have what, 130 horses? 180 horses? At any rate a lot of horses. That much power at the end of your leg? Scary. And how wonderfully we all have done in airbrushing that power away; driving's so wonderful, safe, pretty meadows as you zoom along, a handsome man beside you, blue skies and it's all unicorns and rainbows. Is is any wonder that sometimes I feel like a zombie when driving?
Which is why I would argue for a shift in criminal liability from 'carelessness causing death' (or whatever the charge is) when a car/truck hits a cyclist or pedestrian to 'murder'. We all know explicitly the power that the car has, and in knowing this, you are obliged to act in a manner consistent with exercising that power i.e. carefully and in a way that doesn't cause death. For 90% of us, this isn't problem, but for those who fail to act in a manner consistent with that power it sometimes results in the death of someone else. And to not act in a manner consistent with that power is a form of intent. Which is not carelessness.
Now wearing my elected rep hat - I did think I could work on AT to do a social behaviour campaign - we all have to rub along in this wonderful city of ours, so a little civility is called for in moving around - a kind of a 'good driver' does X message, and back this up with rewards for good civil driving behaviour, but do this over a period of time so we bring into place the idea that Auckland is the place where we move around with care and grace. Just my 2c worth as politician. Doffing said hat.
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My 'commute' is roughly around 5-10k /day (I don't have a 'fixed' workplace), and virtually 90% of my time is spent in the central city. Bikes are much faster any time of the day in this area. I find that I am faster than cars up to a distance of about 10-12k from the city centre (i.e. heading out south and west), but after that, the car starts to have the advantage.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Russell Brown,
I keep meaning to pick a good day and see if I can do Mt Albert, Mt Roskill, Big King, One Tree Hill and Mt Eden (in that order, I figure) in one ride. It would be great to include Mangere in that, but bikes are verboten. Also, I can’t ride to the actual top of Big King.
Good idea… wasn’t really thinking about going to top of each one, more like visit the bottom of each one and climb one or two easy ones… and finding a good pub along the way. Would be interested in your ride when you do it…
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Sacha,
In my defence, I deliberately ride up volcanoes
have to love Auckland
A few of us were musing about doing a Maunga ride – spend a day visiting all the maunga in the Auckland field to celebrate them.
A friend had the idea after I rode out to the airport with him, and coming back, seeing Mangere maunga, and I told him, you know, that’s a mighty fine maunga. Sometimes you have to cycle around to *see*.
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Hard News: When "common sense" isn't, in reply to Ben Gracewood,
Ahh, I've done both... and coming home I ride up to the crossing, cross, then ride down against the traffic to the path... it's not ideal but it'll have to do for the meantime. Perhaps I could ask Rode (bike shop) to ring AT and put pressure on them to fix up that intersection...