Australia's rep as a nation of rule-flouting larrikins takes fatal blow!
A big part of the white Australian psyche is a supposed rebel spirit borne from its convict beginnings in the nineteenth century, men, women, kids ripped from the motherland and thrust into a wild, tough country.
The truth is very different, of course.
Australia is marked by its slavish adherence to rules, whether its water restrictions (citizen police diligently telephoning authorities if a water is being unlawfully watered), driving at a determined speed limit or ensuring music is neither heard nor played after nine pm.
A country of docile rule-followers, demonstrated most recently by the population’s response to the most draconian pandemic lockdowns in the world, the few protesters quickly dispersed with rubber bullets and swarms of police arresting the uncooperative.
And, all aided and abetted by armies of citizen police armed with sharp eyes and telephones.
After an ungodly amount of rain on Australia’s east coast, surfers on Sydney’s northern beaches used shovels to open up lagoons to create standing waves, something that’s been happening for decades.
Real good, real clean fun,.
Not any more. Citizen cops, along with local councillors, have combined to call for a shutdown of the “illegal” activity, kids threatened with $1100 fines if they take up a shovel.
The council, for its part, warned, “Unauthorised lagoon openings are illegal and can be dangerous for members of the public. The water outflow often develops into ‘standing waves’, with particularly dangerous downward pressure. This can trap even strong swimmers.”