HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: phys218@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
Subject: Beware Bogons
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:01:36 GMT

Derek Tearne wrote, "...If they had replied 'we will not confirm or
deny...' or possibly 'fvarswiggle bloamsnigit waisnddneepoark
vlapstreui' we would have sent them on their way."

"we"?

Beware of Poms trying to pass themselves off as New Zealanders.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lyndon Watson                              L.Watson@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: amanning@acd.ucar.edu (Andrew Manning)
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Organization: Ntl Center for Atmospheric Research - Atmospheric Chemistry Div
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 20:22:40 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.124648.12272@waikato.ac.nz> higham@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>In article <pplane.21.722027597@massey.ac.nz>, news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:
>
>I actually wear some kind of skull protector pretty much all the time. Since I
>was 16 I have been a firm advocate of the "protect yourself from everyone else
>at all times, and yourself" line on life. I've avoided small cuts and bumps to
>the head caused by things like knocking into open kitchen cupboards, bumps from
>lying down on a bed and accidentally hitting the window ledge, walking into
>doors, walls, power poles and other dangerous immovable objects. I believe very
>firmly that the day is not far off that all people should take precautions to
>wear some kind of skull restraint protector, whether it be a crash helmet, bike
>helmet, sports helmet or a good old fashioned jersey or towell wrapped around
>the bonce, just like the old one I had when I first realized how crucial it is

Is this guy for real????


Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie)
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Originator: torrie@Xenon.Stanford.EDU
Organization: CS Department, Stanford University, California, USA
Date: 24 Nov 92 04:29:16 GMT

amorgan@waikato.ac.nz writes:

>If you can grab the number on their plate go into the M.O.T. and file a
>complaint. They *love* having boguns up for that sort of thing. Typical result
>is bogun loses licence for a while - which can only benefit others on the road.

  That's assuming that losing a license is a disincentive to drive.
In my experience of such fellows, that is not the case.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu 
Embrace rationalism, reject superstition.           Break away from the past.
"...there is only one thing worse than having marketing people on a project,
 and that is having no marketing people on a project."  - Larry Tesler.
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 23:40:38 -0500 
From: Michael Witbrock <mjw+@cs.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
	<1992Nov17.112106.12224@waikato.ac.nz>

Compulsory seat belts, bike helmets, motorbike jackets and the like make
perfect sense in a country which has socialised medicine (as all
countries should). One could argue that one should be able to
simultaneously opt out of these protections and the health care system,
but I doubt that the number of takers would justify the trouble of the
legislation.

michael
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: cctr123@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (Alan Murray, CSC Operations, Uni of Canty)
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 01:37:54 GMT

In article <58sis-b@massey.ac.nz>, news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:
> Come on what do you Kiwi's think?

As P.J. O'Rourke put it - we're surrounded by "safety nazis".

Alan
From: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Car rental in NZ
Date: 18 Nov 1992 02:16:31 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council, Wgtn, NZ
Reply-To: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: nomad.wcc.govt.nz


In article <RCBC.92Nov16163945@seth.cs.cornell.edu>, rcbc@seth.cs.cornell.edu (Robert Cooper) writes:
>
>From my experience last time it was even more expensive to rent a car once
>in NZ. Is this still true, or am I better off renting something when I get
>there. Are there some local companies that are cheaper?
>
>Thanks -- Robert Cooper rcbc@cs.cornell.edu

Depending on Public Holiday season and weekend rates car rental companies
charge at certain times of the year, trip to Christchurch on off-peak
time and Labour Weekend (31st Oct) was $49 a day, unlimited mileage, bring
the car back empty for a 4 wheel drive Subarau with a smaller rather
than the expensive above two premier companies. I suggest you shop around
for the best prices here, or if you have access to a travel agent who is
prepared to do this for you, as you certainly can hire for less than
the prices you have been quoted with a smaller company.

--
Red
From: bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (William Francis Bennett)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 21 Nov 1992 08:34:03 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
Reply-To: bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1992Nov20.005641.5977@massey.ac.nz>, news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:
>In article <1992Nov19.032607.27122@Princeton.EDU> Michael Woodhams,
>woodhams@phoenix.Princeton.EDU writes:
>
>>
>Apart from what is meant here, as a French driver in New Zealand, I can
>tell you that I have never felt so insecure on the roads anywhere else! 
>I know the statistics are much worse back in France (the worst in Europe
>I think), but the absolutely mindless behaviour of MALE drivers here is
>just incredible. 
>

>Anyway... as we say in french, "c'est comme pisser dans un violon..."
>
>EMA ALTER (EJ. Alter@massey.ac.nz)
>CUES
>Massey University
>Palmerston North
>New Zealand

I hope this doesn't sound placist (well they are from across the English
Channel), but if a French driver thinks Kiwis are absolutely mindless then you
guys are in Big trouble.

Now I have nothing against the French. Hellfire, I worked for them when I live
in the UK and drove a Citron. My sister lived in France for nearly ten years
and works with French people on the Channel Tunnel project. I have French
friends and even once had a French significant other. BUT....

French drivers are crazy. Try driving from Paris to the Med and you'll see
ambulances lined up along the side of the motorways waiting to cart the injured
to hospital. 

However, I'd be inclined to agree that even the most madcap French driver is a
placid, law abiding angel compared with the average Kiwi driver.
 
And while we're on the subject. Who are thos homicidal maniacs with black
jumpers, short hair on top and long hair at the back. Some of them drive old
holdens or fords.

I ask because twice now as I've driven over the Rimutuka Hill road some of
these loonies have past me on the inside after driving three inches behind my
rear bumper for a mile or two. Heck, I usually drive 20k over the speed limit
but that ain't fast enough for these bozos.

Scary.

**** HOLD THE FRONT PAGE **** EX-PAT POM JOURNO IN KIWI LOVE NEST SAGA **** 
                                                                              
William Francis Bennett                  | You cannot hope to bribe or twist, 
BENNETT_W@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz             | Thank God!, The British Journalist
PO Box 2613, Wellington, New Zealand     | But seeing what that man will do
Fax: 64/4/499-3431                       | Unbribed, there's no occasion to.
_____________________________________________________________________________
From: bill@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 19 Nov 92 14:36:43 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1eekpiINNmv3@golem.wcc.govt.nz>, bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (William Francis Bennett) writes:
> In article <1992Nov19.115737.12309@waikato.ac.nz>, bill@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>>>
>>All this conjecturing and waving of statistics about how bad New Zealand
>>direvers is rather pointless. Until you show me a comprehensive study that
>>compares road conditions, road densities, age of cars, etc. etc. between
>>countries I'll just ignore anyone who quotes a single statistic. I've
> 
> Standard excuse number one. It doesn't wash. There are stats that show driving
> deaths are high here. In a holiday weekend the papers always print the road
> toll stats. Often there are dozen or more deaths. The UK (population around 56
> million) doesn't often get that many over a holiday weekend. Old cars, road
> conditions etc should be reasons to take extra care, not seen as minor
> irritations.
> 

Show me them. Ones that compare _all_ factors and not just a few.
Published in a scientific journal. A dissertation. Whatever.
Then I'll believe it. You can argue about my "standard excuses"
but I can argue just the same about your "statistics".

>>
>>Half the problem is when people go overseas, they are always trying
>>to find flaws, and can't accept the differences for what they are.
>>Have you ever had to drive on the opposite side of the road for
>>any length of time. How long did it take for you to get used to
>>it? 
> 
> Possibly. Yes. And around 15 minutes. I used to work in Europe a lot and hire
> cars all the time. It's easy to adjust, you simply need to take a bit more care
> than usual.

15 minutes is amazingly short. Did you have problems when crossing a road
as a pedestrian looking the right way? Were you comfortable turning at
an intersection? In my recent trip overseas, the most problems I had
was when I returned. In North America, there was always traffic coming
the other way, so I knew which side of the road I was supposed to
be on. Most of the roads there was no two-way traffic anyway. When I came
back, the same day I had problems figuring out which side of the
road I was supposed to be on, because it was a windy backroad
with no traffic. Which illustrates my point about entirely different
traffic conditions.
> 
> I conjecture that it takes almost as long when driving in a new
>>country or city to get used to the road patterns. And it'll take
>>quite a bit longer before you feel comfortable with it. 
> 
> Fair comment - but I've been here nearly six years.

I would have said it would take 20 years at least.

Bill Teahan
- Who's travelled 115,000 km's on back-country New Zealand roads in the
  last four years, and the car looks it.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand,soc.culture.australian
From: kilroy@acme.gen.nz (earthbound misfit, I)
Subject: Re: US Gun Lobbyist Visits
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 11:33:52 GMT
Organization: ACME BBS - Public Access Usenet, Palmerston North, New Zealand

derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:

> maj@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>
> >Has anyone any reactions to the US gun lobby's efforts to 
> >link up with their local counterparts to turn Australia and 
> >New Zealand into places where handguns and semi-automatic
> >weapons may be freely obtained?
> 
> Line them all up against a wall and shoot them?
> 
> Is there a serious attempt to do this?  I don't think there can be any 
> possible justification for handguns or semi-automatic weapons to be 
> freely available. I have yet to hear anyone come up with one either.

<sarcasm alert>

Semi-automatic weapons?!?! Oh no?! The horror!!!

<sarcasm off>

Hands up if anyone here actually has a clue what a semi-automatic rifle is.

							- k
-- 
Craig Harding            kilroy@acme.gen.nz             ACME BBS +64 6 3551342
"Jub'er lbh pnyyvat n obmb?"
From: hist1261@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:16:27 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand


> 
> And...
> 
> Just to get you all going again. Another reason that helmets must be
> compulsary, is that it protects those riders who think they are so good that
> they don't need a helmet. Hands up all those who think they are so marvelous
> that they don't need a helmet. Now how many of them have ever swerved suddenly,
> or hit a pothole such that they could come off their bike? Bet none of you can
> say not me. Because it just happens. People on bikes do tend to ride in the
> stupidest of places. (Like pulling out to the middle of the road to let people
> waiting at pedestrian crossings go).

Hands up all those people who think they can walk down the street without
full body armour?  How many of you have ever tripped on a piece of concrete,
such that they have grazed their knee.  Bet none of you can say not me.
Because it just happens.  People just tend to walk in the stupidest of places.
Much safer to stay in doors all your life.  Guess you won't ever be a burden
Hamish's taxes either.
> 
> Face it. Even the safest of riders will have an off day when hey ride in the
> wrong place. If you are wearing a helmet, then you have less chance of being a
> burden on my already too high taxes through head injury if somebody hits you
> (Doesn't matter whose fault it is it still does the same damage).
> 
> haveing said that of course, I still don't wear a helmet (But in 14 or so
> months I'll have to), and I also prefer tax payer funded health care.
> 
> Now the point of all this drivel is that some people (ie kids and things that
> don't always look where they are going), need a helmet. Because you can't tell
> who they are just by looking you have to make everybody conform to make sure
> they do.

Lowest common denominator legislation, what a wonderful idea!  Some people
can't handle alcohol, let's bring back prohibition!  Some people are attracted
to the same gender and are helping spread a nasty disease, let's recriminalise
homosexuality!  Some people are offended by "dirty" literature, let's start
burning books!  Because you just can't tell who these people are by looking
at them though you have to pass a law to make everyone conform.

> 
> Oh yeah. The proposed fine isn't high enough. Make it $100, and for the first
> one the fine should also purchase you a new helmet so you have no excuse for
> the second (Which should be even higher).
> 
> -- 
> Hamish Marson, SCMS, University of Waikato             |
> hamish@waikato.ac.nz.  Fax +64 7 8384066               | Computers are only 
> Disclaimer: Remember. You heard it here first!         |   Human.....
> 		  
> If at first you don't succeed, you must be doing something wrong.
>                                         -- Charles Merrill Smith

Why confiscate all the offender's assets?  That'll make the bastard's conform.

Richard.


Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: sveini@mack.uit.no (Svein-Ivar Lillehaug)
Subject: Re: Car rental in NZ
Organization: University of Tromsoe
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 16:16:21 GMT

In article <1992Nov17.062843.4395@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz> graeme@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz ( Graeme Moffat) writes:
>hamish@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>
>>Try getting hold of a crowd called rent-a-dent. They hire out older cars,
>>rather than something thats brand new and in mint condition (NOt to say theirs
>>aren't any good, they just aren't factory new like Avis Hertz Budget cars tend
>>to be, and so the prices are of course lower.
>>Sorry I don't have a fax or phone for them Perhaps somebody in Auk could be
>>kind enough to look in the phone book.
>
>RENT-A-DENT
> Rental Cars & Vans
>  Auckland Airport  Private Bag   +64-9-276-8020
>  Manukau City                         -262-3987
>  Central City                         -524-8891
>  North Shore                          -480-0866
>
>Don't know if these are related:
>RENT A WRECK                           -357-0019
>RENT-A-BOMB  42 Daytona Rd Henderson   -630-0726

Does anybody know how much these dent-rentals charges for a week with
a small-medium sized car in a not-to-bad condition? It is kind of
difficult to check out these things directly from the other side of the
world.

Thanks in advance,
Svein-Ivar
From: jbarnett@wpi.WPI.EDU (Jonathan R Barnett)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: living in Christchurch
Date: 16 Nov 92 07:41:38
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

I plan on teaching at Univ. of Canterbury during the Middle term (3rd
week of May through third week of August) 1993.  The financial
arrangements are being worked out right now.  Does anyone know how the
cost of living compares to say Boston, or some other US city I can
relate to?

Also, some of my students may be coming along for the ride.  Is short
term housing available (for say 8 weeks)?  If so, what does it cost?
And is it safe (or, what areas of the city should be avoided)?

Finally, what does it cost to rent a car for a weekend, or a week.

Answers to these questions, and any other information you can provide
would be gratefully received.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Dr. Jonathan R. Barnett                       |  jbarnett@wpi.wpi.edu
      Assistant Professor                        |  
      Fire Protection Engineering                |  Work: (508) 831-5113
   Interests: Fire, backpacking, cats, Theta Chi |  Home: (508) 754-2898
   Member: Salamander Honorary Society, SFPE, ASCE, ASME, NFPA, ASTM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz (Liam Greenwood)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 19 Nov 92 20:22:14 GMT+12
Organization: It's Home, really...
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

William Francis Bennett (bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz) wrote:
>
> Ok. I know this won't make me popular in Netland. But really this is a national
> problem of the first water. Road accidents are the major killer of young men.
> So short of banning cars what do you think should be done?
    Send them to war....?
--
 Liam Greenwood ------ liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz ------ Wanganui, N.Z.
                 Don't tell my Mother I'm a programmer,
               she thinks I'm a piano player in a brothel
From: paul@taniwha.UUCP (Paul Campbell)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: scnz faq (unofficial, long)
Date: 13 Nov 92 15:55:12 GMT
Organization: Taniwha Systems Design

In article <28935.3139226764@kiwi.gen.nz> rabbi@kiwi.gen.nz (Rabbi Bajzheet) writes:

>Buzzy Bees:  A quintissential piece of Kiwiana.  It is a small wooden
>bee that toddlers can drag around on a piece of string. It has wings
>that rotate (backwards) and it makes a wierd clicking sound.  They are
>no longer made, much to the author's remorse.

A vicious rumour told to us by everyone when we visited NZ last year to show
off our brand-new son ... friends even gave us their own old one (with the
noisey clicky bit removed - they'd been parents longer than us) - but with
carefull search we found lots of brand new ones ... in of all places - a toy
store ... they only problems with the new ones is that the have plastic
wings ... that's what modern civilisation comes down to - plastic wings :-(

	Paul

-- 
Paul Campbell    UUCP: ..!mtxinu!taniwha!paul     AppleLink: CAMPBELL.P
    "There once was a president named Bush, we started giving him a push,
     Then we went hunting Quayle, got the Republicans nailed,
     And tossed them out on their tush" - Anon.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand,alt.alien.visitors
From: mcwg9235@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Marsha Woodbury )
Subject: Re: NZ UFO reports in mainstream press, 1989?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 11:43:41 GMT

markmc@halcyon.com (Mark McWiggins) writes:

>An acquaintance mentioned something about a bizarre series of UFO
>reports coming out of New Zealand in 1989, allegedly including guys

It may not be widely known outside of New Zealand, but certainly
within....There are many, many instances of UFO sightings in
New Zealand, and a high percentage of them are around Blenheim.
The Marlborough Express files are replete with the stories of
possible sightings.  

Not only that, Blenheim is on "the grid" in a book (I don't
remember the title)--the book says the high proportion of
UFO sightings are due to where blenheim is (I always wondered
why God put it there!)--I guess ET, etc. will make contact
with humnakind in Blenheim, so get ready DownUnder!!
.....
-- 
Marsha Woodbury   marsha-w@uiuc.edu
A simile is like a metaphor.
University of Illinois, Middle of Nowhere
From: bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (William Francis Bennett)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 18 Nov 1992 23:49:06 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
Reply-To: bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1992Nov19.115737.12309@waikato.ac.nz>, bill@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>>
>All this conjecturing and waving of statistics about how bad New Zealand
>direvers is rather pointless. Until you show me a comprehensive study that
>compares road conditions, road densities, age of cars, etc. etc. between
>countries I'll just ignore anyone who quotes a single statistic. I've

Standard excuse number one. It doesn't wash. There are stats that show driving
deaths are high here. In a holiday weekend the papers always print the road
toll stats. Often there are dozen or more deaths. The UK (population around 56
million) doesn't often get that many over a holiday weekend. Old cars, road
conditions etc should be reasons to take extra care, not seen as minor
irritations.

>
>Half the problem is when people go overseas, they are always trying
>to find flaws, and can't accept the differences for what they are.
>Have you ever had to drive on the opposite side of the road for
>any length of time. How long did it take for you to get used to
>it? 

Possibly. Yes. And around 15 minutes. I used to work in Europe a lot and hire
cars all the time. It's easy to adjust, you simply need to take a bit more care
than usual.

I conjecture that it takes almost as long when driving in a new
>country or city to get used to the road patterns. And it'll take
>quite a bit longer before you feel comfortable with it. 

Fair comment - but I've been here nearly six years.

Stuff deleted

So
>next time you curse a Kiwi driver, just remember this is a
>different country with different driving patterns; a lot
>more open roads, and less cars on it; a lot more narrow,
>winding two lane roads; less than 200k of motorways;
>thousands of mad impatient Kiwis who are adept at overtaking
>manoeuvres in less than 20m; and ignorant foreigners who are still
>getting to grips with our driving patterns and pose a danger
>to the natives. :-)
>
>Bill Teahan

So its back to standard excuse number one is  it? - the old standby :-)


**** HOLD THE FRONT PAGE **** EX-PAT POM JOURNO IN KIWI LOVE NEST SAGA **** 
                                                                              
William Francis Bennett                  | You cannot hope to bribe or twist, 
BENNETT_W@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz             | Thank God!, The British Journalist
PO Box 2613, Wellington, New Zealand     | But seeing what that man will do
Fax: 64/4/499-3431                       | Unbribed, there's no occasion to.
_____________________________________________________________________________