Monday, September 29, 2014

I Tried To Get On The Bikes, Honest

Hello India, Brazil, China, and Mexico and welcome to the blog...today I'd like to address the comment/question re Bike Lanes...(so more pedalling of your particular brand of political bastardry then...go on, what's wrong with bloody Bike Lanes?...you'll be having a go at the flowers next-Ed)...steady on, peoples is the problem not the lanes per se...(ahh yeah, whatevs-Ed)...but first...

It was way wet down Wye way when I went by that way on my way back from Portland the other day...(Wye?-Ed)...I was coming back from my knee appointment in Portland...(yeah I know, not 'why?', Wye?-Ed)...because my knees are buggered, I told you...(yes, I know that, but where is Wye?-Ed)...what? 'where is why?'?...(no not why, Wye, who what or where is Wye?-Ed)...Wye is where I was, why?...(so Wye is a where, but where is there?-Ed)...there is where I was when I was at Wye...........(ever feel like you've strayed into someone else's routine?-Ed)...who's?...(on first-Ed)......
Good Onya' Bike Lanes: because I do support people being able to get about safely on bicycles or as pedestrians or even as vehicle jockeys, but what should happen with Bike Lanes and what's actually happened/is happening in Mt Gambier are 2 distinctly different aminals...for example, what has been done on Penola Rd at Frew Pk, etc, is such an absolute debacular that, and may I be so very wrong, that it will cause accidents that will probably involve a pedestrian or cyclist...if you've got a free afternoon have a coffee at Hungry Jack's there and watch the disastrous confusion created by the Bike Lanes, side streets, multiple driveways, ludicrous 2m wide painted island, etc...it's a planning debasco of the highest order...

(If a debacle/fiasco is a 'debasco' does that make a spectacular debacle a 'spectacle'?-Ed)...quite possibly...just today I was through there and with a car parked outside the ABC and cars trying to turn into HungJs, etc, traffic was blocked and confusion reigned and it wasn't even very busy, just these cars stuck half across the painted island...etc, etc...similar incident on Wireless Rd this arvo...sorry to jump off Bike Lanes here but I do have many concerns about how they have been applied across Mt Gambier, but they are only one of numerous 'safe transport, safe transit' issues across Mt Gambier so that full post tomorrow...sorry...bottom-line, I support safe biking, etc, but what's been done in Mt Gambier largely justifies and/or creates opposition to lanes...tomorrow...

Men's Watch Suicide Prevention Program: is unfortunately a very necessary initiative and to be fully supported, which is why I didn't go to the Mt Gambier meeting...(is this that whole 'I feel when I show up it changes the tone of the room, and not for the better' thing?-Ed)...indeed, and thankyou for being aware of those issues, but you can remove the 'I feel' bit because it just is what it is...(ain't nuthin' but a Thang?-Ed)...indeed...and there have been a coupla' other Suicide Prevention events that I didn't attend for the same reason. eg, the Out Of The Shadows walk...

Even if it's 100% my delusional self-aggrandisin'...(but it ain't people, it ain't-Ed)...yes, but even if it is, consider living your life in absolute isolation, feeling massively vilified by the community you've effectively destroyed your own life to try and support and improve...(surely the duty of any good citizen in any society-Ed)...indeed...but alone, vilified and widely hated for the heinous crime of giving a damn, and know that the nicest thing you can do for Suicide Prevention meetings and/or Mental Health groups, etc, is to just stay the forget away...(yeah, that's some heavy shizzle dude-Ed)...

(Isn't that going to compromise your ability to function as Mayor though in the unlikely event you are elected?-Ed)...2 things, namely 2) it ain't as unlikely as some would choose/hope to believe...(damn straight-Ed)...and 1) it's a completely different context, and one where donning the robes perfectly suits me in divesting myself of my personal political accoutrement out of respect for the role/position...and on that point I have the right to expect nay demand that as Mayor I would/should/will be treated with the respect I intend to return to said office...

The ongoing/running joke is that anyone could be a better, more respectful Mayor just by showing up for shizzle...(hilarious but sadly true-Ed)...and I can personally demand that I be treated with the same respect and control and decorum as I have exhibited time and time again at dozens of Council meetings, forums, etc...(large angry hippy says what? every time you go near one of these things it kicks off...you've just said so yourself in this bloody post!-Ed)...exactly, which is why I can demand I be treated with absolute respect as should the office because the office should have the respect of the citizens...and it doesn't...

(No no no, stop that, I know you're trying to suck me into explaining your point for you, your self-justification, but I've been at those meetings and I've seen what a debasco they can be, and it's always you at the centre of it...always-Ed)...absolutely...(stop that, I was at those Budget 'Consultation' meetings last year and at every single one there was a broohaha involving you, often several-Ed)...yep...(yep? Councillors were waving their hands at you and talking over you and telling you to be quiet and up outta' their chairs a coupla' times half-yelling at ya', and twice you got into a confrontation with Mayor Steve Perryman and damn you you've done it again haven't you?-Ed)...yep...

(Yet again you've pushed me into explaining your otherwise ludicrous and extravagant claims-Ed)...yep...(because at those meetings all of the abuse and aggression and confrontation was at you not by you-Ed)...beautifully put Ed, 'not by me, at me'...I like it, I'm going to use it...(because you asked appropriate questions on critical issues in a polite, calm and quiet manner and were met with a wall of disrespectful abuse, up to and including Mayor Perryman twice trying to bully and intimidate you, actually trying to manufacture some sort of incident-Ed)...yep...

(Damn you...when Mayor Perryman went right around the room to come up behind you and actually lean on the back of your chair and lean over the top of you and start mouthing-off, and all you needed to do was stand up to knock him on his arse, but you didn't...and then he came into another meeting, again went right 'round the room to sit right next to you, actually moving closer and whacking his chair into your bag, and you just got up and moved across the room-Ed)...yep...(all of that was done to you not by you-Ed)...damn straight...

(And that is why you're so iffy about showing up for things, because this is what happens, and it's not how you behave, you just have to be there-Ed)...exactly...and I went to the Leukemia Foundation's Light The Night walk last evening because 1) I am a Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor, and 2) it was dark so there was a relative anonymity...ironically ran into a coupla'  people who were pleased to see me and there was much politicing, yay...(yay-Ed)...

And of course there was the attempted provocation at the March 2010 State Election Forum at the Helpmann Theatre, with Liberal candidate Mayor Perryman mouthing-off in my ear when the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up was raised during question time, trying to get me to react and therefore hopefully not get to address the question...(yeah, I hadn't forgotten...and then he, Labor candidate Viv Maher, soon to be Member Don Pegler, and Family First's Henk Bruins just sat there with their heads pathetically bowed and not one of them stood up to address a situation they all knew all about because you'd told them-Ed)...damn straight...

By acts of omission or averting their eyes...

Tomorrow: More Bike Lanes Stuff

(More? more? you've hardly touched it today, again-Ed)...yeah, sorry, it's not a deliberate ploy to get people to keep coming back to the blog to see if an issue is ever resolved/finalised/whatevs, therefore improving my 'view numbers'......(insert embarrassed silence here).......it's just how I roll...(what, off Relevance Road and into a field of bloomin' Distractions?-Ed)...hilarious...

Written and Authorised by Nick Fletcher, 16 Kooringa St, Mt Gambier...cheers and laters... 

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