The totally off-topic thread

[erkpod]

Hope he's otherwise OK. I wouldn't have given any odds to anyone inside that flipping portable to be alive, let alone survive without substantial paralysis.

Spoke to another colleague about the incident & he'd heard the same guy had a broken kneecap. I predict by next week, he'll have a fractured skull.

Got to love Chinese Whispers.

 

[erkpod]

Tell them to go to Fiji - a very family friendly place to goe esp with young children. My 1yo granddaughter just went there. She even took her parents for a treat

She decided on Fiji.

 

[rogerkambah]

It doesn't really matter. Making a licence expensive makes it valuable and something to be respected.

Unfortunately we aren't considering low SES people in this discussion. For them, even $1000 to obtain a driving licence is just out of the question, so what will they do?

 

[anat0l]

Unfortunately we aren't considering low SES people in this discussion. For them, even $1000 to obtain a driving licence is just out of the question, so what will they do?

Make sure they damn well pass the first time?


I guess the allowance for lower SES people (mind, not exactly the right thinking for the current national political regime) would depend on what would they really need a licence to drive for. If it is for the purposes of employment, perhaps a scheme can be created to link the obtaining of a licence and licensing fee to the employment.

The amount for getting a L, then applying for a test and then obtaining even a 1 year licence after passing the test is not trivial as it is, so for anyone, the amount for a licence would only be a real problem if it was imperative, not based on cost per se.

Similarly, you would like to think that setting a high cost for a licence doesn't mean that those who could handily afford it (for themselves, their kids, whatever) would be extremely blase about the rationale.

 

[erkpod]

Unfortunately we aren't considering low SES people in this discussion. For them, even $1000 to obtain a driving licence is just out of the question, so what will they do?

Am I the only one who is wondering what volunteers wearing orange has to do with getting a licence?

 

[anat0l]

Am I the only one who is wondering what volunteers wearing orange has to do with getting a licence?

Not really I got it the first time, although I'm aware of the State Emergency Services as much as socio-economic status.

 

[Hvr]

So it's not the APS SES?

 

[JohnK]

That article has essentially been the catalyst for the current discussion.

BTW the school zone speed limit in SA is 25; 40 is still too high, as ISTR that 30 is the speed where survival is 50/50.

Apologies. I replied to that posted and only later realised that it was being discussed at length.

 

[JohnK]

saying someone is not good enough is perfectly fine... but you may be asked to provide evidence to ensure you haven't excluded them on grounds of discrimination.

That is where political correctness has gone totally wrong.

If I do not want to employ someone I should not be forced into employing them or pay them compensation for not wanting to employ them. Regardless of the reason.

 

[rogerkambah]

Sorry, I hadn't considered other SES, but thought that 'low' SES would indicate the sector of the GP (no not General Practitioners) that i was referring to. However APS SES - having worked in the APS (but not SES) well......

 

[anat0l]

Sorry, I hadn't considered other SES, but thought that 'low' SES would indicate the sector of the GP (no not General Practitioners) that i was referring to. However APS SES - having worked in the APS (but not SES) well......

Since when has GP for "general public" entered into the zeitgeist?

 

[mono88]

Got to love Chinese Whispers.

They can't be heard through Chinese Walls.

 

[erkpod]

Sorry, I hadn't considered other SES, but thought that 'low' SES would indicate the sector of the GP (no not General Practitioners) that i was referring to. However APS SES - having worked in the APS (but not SES) well......

People at public service SES level should have no problem affording a licence. LOL.

 

[erkpod]

They can't be heard through Chinese Walls.

I dunno, are Chinese Walls like Japanese Walls?

 

[mono88]

Am I the only one who is wondering what volunteers wearing orange has to do with getting a licence?

I gave them the usual donation when they rang last week

 

[mono88]

I dunno, are Chinese Walls like Japanese Walls?

No, Chinese Walls should be impenetrable, Japanese walls are made of paper.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That is where political correctness has gone totally wrong.

If I do not want to employ someone I should not be forced into employing them or pay them compensation for not wanting to employ them. Regardless of the reason.

no. and these views are out of step with modern society.

you cannot discriminate against someone based on the protected criteria set out in anti-discrimination legislation.

you can't refuse employment to a black person simply because you don't like black people. or because they're gay and you don't agree with it. or deny them simply because they're baptist. or a woman.

this is not a case where political correctness has gone mad. it is a case of 'helping' recalcitrant people to accept that people have equal rights.

 

[Flashback]

They can't be heard through Chinese Walls.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/china-correspondent/great-firewall-of-china

 

[rogerkambah]

Since when has GP for "general public" entered into the zeitgeist?

Mein Gott, I can't take any credit for that. I picked it up in this thread at 10.22 yesterday. I assumed GP meant general populace rather than Grand Prix. :?:

 

[anat0l]

no. and these views are out of step with modern society.

you cannot discriminate against someone based on the protected criteria set out in anti-discrimination legislation.

you can't refuse employment to a black person simply because you don't like black people. or because they're gay and you don't agree with it. or deny them simply because they're baptist. or a woman.

this is not a case where political correctness has gone mad. it is a case of forcing recalcitrant people to accept that people have equal rights.

Well, to be honest, society's current trajectory is towards (increasing) political correctness. Whether this is for the purposes of social equality or general social good (egalitarianism?) is arguable in all cases.

Still, (for example) if you are a black person who was refused employment, you would still probably have a real problem proving any prejudice on the side of the employer if you suspected it as such. I'm sure it's quite easy for an employer to conjure up an even superficial reason as to why they selected another candidate over you, unless the differences are extremely disparate or stories contradict one another. When that all washes over, it may not be worth your while having a job there anyway (would you like an employer like that?).

The only reason I asked is because there has been precedent set for some things which you can't discriminate about, but of course that only works if they say it right to your face. For example, the former AN attendants who applied for the then-new Virgin Blue (DJ) only to be refused because they were too old. I was wondering whether criminal activity - whether suspected, alleged or real - can be used legitimately as such. After all, there were ads* run in buses quite a few years back that said that a criminal record would have serious repercussions on one's ability to apply for a job, bank loan or travel internationally.

* The ad was about changes in QLD laws that meant some then-juveniles could be tried as adults in a criminal court.