Stealing Len's Plaques

I have no idea what I would do, but I can bet Len found the right words!!!

Signman, I think it was you who asked me about permits for the area we are travelling through. I spoke to a guy who is travelling across the Anne Beadell in July about travelling solo and getting permits. He panic's and immediately rings up the appropriate people and gets them straight away over the phone. No hassels. Only needed permits for SA none for WA for where he is going.
cheers
Des

You know John, the sad part about the mentality of these people is you could perform attitude adjustment with said Desert Oak Post and they'd complain about being a victim.
I was only having a discussion on a similar subject with my wife last night. When I was a kid I respected the local sargeant and feared he'd tell my father if I mis-behaved.
Back in the good old days people where held accountable for their behaviour.

Geoff.

I should have also mentioned that one of the main reasons that the Ration Truck was moved was because people were stealing bits of it.

Doug Stoneham (Lens Bulldozer Driver) was with us on that trip and was astounded at the amount of stuff removed or damaged in the 5 years since he was last there.

And Geoff M your spot on about the days of old and the local coppers and your dad.
I think most of us middle to to older generation would remember and concur with your comments.
Not the kids of today though the "Hit me and your in the $hit" type attitude encouraged and developed by a small section of society in our children makes for very difficult parenting.

Greetings John from a Qld TLCC member. Mate do you call the education system a "small section of society"? Too many bloody do gooders stufffing up society!

My wife and all her friends work in the Education system...let me tell you it aint the system. It is society! The parents! The administration is dead scared of the parents because they can, will and do sue, and the kids know it. Now I ask you how can an education system be expected to police kids behavior under those circumstances? And if you were a teacher you would find you are completely powerless.

If I ran a school, you would as a parent have to sign a contract detailing exactly how your kids would be disciplined, and if you didn't like it, I'd say there are plenty more schools. But in the State system they can't do that. But perhaps parents who send there kids to private schools and pay huge fees are more tolerant of such arrangements and of appropriate discipline.

PS I sure would love to meet Doug. Those guys spent so much time out there it is unbelievable.

sorry "their kids"

David...any chance of a way to edit your posts after you post them?

:-)

Hi Moose you caught my sediment completely, I was trying to be a little tactful in labeling a small section of society as to a large degree David O is correct about a system / world gone bloody mad.

David another interesting thing was it turned out that Doug Stoneham is actually my second cousin.
Lived with the bloke for almost 2 weeks and only worked it out on our second last day together during lunch break on the way back to Alice springs.
We were both dumb struck when we worked it out.
I rang my Mum (Doug's Cousin as it turns out) on the sat phone, she was staggered as she had lost all contact with that side of the extended family except for the one link that counted.
That link being my 96 year old great aunt (Doug's and my mums Aunt)
Small world eh !!!

The unfortunate thing is that Doug is now very very sick and the prognosis is not very good. They thought he may not make Xmas 04, but he's hanging in there.

I notice there are 2 kinds of parents (3 actually) I work at the pool and tell a kid off they tell there parents parent 1 replys well you probably deserved it parent 2 comes over and has a go at me for trying to save their little darluing from themselves and parent 3 - well parent 3 isnt there they dropped there 5yr old kid off and went to the pub

John,

That is sad news. The writer in me would really love to have been able to hear about the project from Doug's point of view. I am ever dumbfounded that these guys stayed working in those conditions for as many years as they did. Yet I understand it, as anyone who seeks adventure and has seen the remotest parts of Oz would.
I don't know how many had wives and kids but damn it would be a good story. I wish I could meet him.

or not