Tailgating

Tailgating is not unusual, but this was so deadly dangerous that it's worth publishing.

This was on the Warrego yesterday afternoon.

The hero driving the multiwheeled rig was about one car length behind the small sedan at 100km/hr for about 1500 metres.

I've captured the first few seconds, but it continued well beyond the point when I overtook it and moved out of camera range. Watch from about the 55 sec mark until the end. Motion stops earlier in the sequence for some unknown reason, but it doesn't matter for the purpose of illustrating stupidity.

At least the rig was empty.

Consider the consequences of the dark sedan making an emergency stop for some reason - and I am aware of the excuse that the truckie can see way down the road.

I wonder what length of road is required to stop this thing.

I've been driving since 1964, and have seen a major improvement in the standards of both rigs and drivers in that time.

The rig in this example looked to be brand new.

The driver was the weak link. He is a lunatic.

Class Action?

Smiley Tim

Like many Nashos who were in government employment when called up, for me there was a real cost in a financial sense.

Let me explain.

I was called up as a teacher. Back in 1969, my teacher's salary was $2848 per annum.

Once in the army, I earned $1248 per annum in Australia, and $1846 per annum on active service in Vietnam.

Had I not been called up, the total of my teacher's salary across those two years would have been $5696. That was what all my colleagues who didn't win the ballot earned.

In the army I earned $3094 during 1969/70.

The difference is $2602.

A pittance, you say.

Well, not really. The value of $2602 in 1970 money is, in 2014 money actually $27550.

How did I work this out? There are any number of websites that will do the calculation. The example is a US site, but the figures hold on this side of the Pacific. It's inflation, stupid.

Some states apparently provided "make-up" pay, in that they paid the difference between army pay and public service pay to the diggers called up. This did not happen in Queensland in Bjelke-Petersen's day.

I wonder if this could be grounds for a class action. I've contacted a firm of plaintiff lawyers, and they're looking at it - out of curiosity, you understand. They haven't dismissed it out of hand and are asking for more information. 

If any of this is relevant to you, dear reader, by all means get in touch, either on this blog, or by email.

Imagine Tim Nicholl's (Qld Treasurer's) reaction if he was presented with an invoice for $27550.

I doubt he'd be smiling (as per pic above).

The figures were obtained from my Army paybook, and the archives of the QTU. They're accurate. 

Fascinating stuff.....

Australians who Served

I'm proud to have served with this bloke.