Ignorant people need tug in right direction

FROM MY CORNER ... with Ann Brunswick

You may recall that during the recent Brisbane floods the multi-million-dollar floating riverwalk linking New Farm and the CBD was washed downstream in several large pieces. You may also recall that the captain of a tug boat took to the water to chase a large chunk of the riverwalk and shepherd it away from ships and the pylons of the Gateway Bridge.

Which got me thinking about how we could use that same type of expertise on dry land. While walking through city streets recently there were at least half-a-dozen occasions when someone coming the other way almost collided with me because he or she was paying more attention to texting on their mobile phone than to where they were walking.
This is an ever-increasing problem as more people devote more of their time and energy to their hand-held communication devices.
My idea would be to have someone like that talented tug-boat captain train up a squad of people who could roam city streets and push out of the way those whose attention is focussed on their mobile phone rather than others sharing the footpath.

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Much has been made about Tony Abbott’s performance in the face of questioning by a Channel 7 reporter about his “shit happens” remark in Afghanistan in relation to the death of an Australian soldier.

In particular, commentators have single out the long silences that greeted repeated questions from the network reporter. I say, what’s the drama? Surely such silence should be encouraged among our politicians.
If our pollies took Abbott’s lead, we would all be a lot better off. Not to name names, but there are certainly some we could bear hearing a lot less from. You know who you are Bob Katter Jr .... oops.

***
So, Michael Klim is the latest of our former Olympians to come out of retirement and set their sights on a return to swimming glory at the London Games next year.

The news follows a similar recent announcement by superfish Ian Thorpe and previous comebacks by Libby Trickett and Geoff Huegill. A place on the pool deck at any Olympic Games is something many young Australians aspire to achieve. Which is why it seems a tad selfish to me for those who have had their golden moment - in some cases, many golden moments - to set out to snatch a place in the Olympic squad ahead of young up-and-comers.
There are only a limited number of spots in the Australian Olympic swimming team, so if Thorpe or Klim make it, then some poor youngster who might have gone to London and done us proud will have to wait another four years for their turn. Of course that all depends if some other has-been decides to make a return appearance.
C’mon guys, you’ve had your turn. Let someone else have a go at getting gold.

***
So here’s the dilemma I faced the other day: not only am I one of the few people using the Clem 7 tunnel at that time, but I’m also religiously trying to stick to the 80kph speed limit in my trusty LandRover, knowing full well that speed cameras inside the tunnel make more money each day nabbing leadfoots than the tunnel’s operators take in tolls.

But right on my back bumper bar is a rather large and very impatient truck. My speedo says 82 or 83, and this truck looms up close, makes its presence known in a very threatening manner, and then noisily brakes as it slips a little behind, just to start the process all over again.
He’s in the left hand lane – trucks have to be – and he’s trying to force me to either break the limit by an even greater amount, or swing over to the right hand lane to let him through. But here’s the catch: I’m heading for the innercity bypass that veers off to the left when you least expect it. So I steadfastly refuse, of course, to get out of his way just so he can speed, but it made for a very unpleasant few minutes inside the tunnel.
I probably saved this clown a very hefty speeding fine – so if he remembers my rear end from the other day – and a fine rear end it is if I say do myself – perhaps he’d like to drop me a simple thank-you note for possibly saving him a lot of money.
An apology for his aggressive and dangerous driving habits would also be nice but I’m not holding my breath.