HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: medrh@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Richard Hockey)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 24 Nov 1992 09:59:47 +0800
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: uniwa.uwa.edu.au

starman@crash.amigans.gen.nz (Robin Halligan) writes:

>bill@waikato.ac.nz wrote:
>: 
>: 
>: 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

>Statistics can be represented any way you want
>if you want to see how bad KIWI drivers are just sit and watch traffic flow
>i have done that and it is almost allways the same.
You think NZ drivers are bad!
I moved from NZ to Western Australia 10 Years ago and the drivers here
must be the worst particularly on country roads.  The roads in the
country here go for kms without a bend or hill (WA has the longest
stretch of straight road in the S hemisphere ) drivers will wait until
there is a bend,hill or an opposing car before overtaking.  Another
problem is single vehicle accidents where the driver becomes so bored
out of his/her brain they drive off the road into a tree. The city
drivers don't appear to have any grasp of the road rules or courtesy at
all (I don't think they ever had to sit a test) drivers will regularly
turn right from the left lane etc.  
It is even acknowledged here in WA that the drivers are the worst in OZ.

BTW we have had compulsory Bike Helmets here for nearly 12 months and it
seems to be fairly well accepted now except for a few dissedents who
like to see their own names in print, but I would say that most people
have accepted the public health advantages of this measure.

-- 
| Richard Hockey                    email:medrh@uniwa.uwa.oz.au               |
| Department of Public Health       phone:+61 9 389-3463        _--_|\        |
| University of Western Australia   fax:  +61 9 389-3648       /      \       |
| NEDLANDS WA 6009, Australia                                  *_.--._/       |
From: bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (William Francis Bennett)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: where moari dictionary/spell checker?
Date: 18 Nov 1992 08:20:30 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 <1992Nov16.092759.79@wronz.org.nz>, claridge@wronz.org.nz writes:
>Hi, some time ago there was a thread about maori dictionary/spell checker, 
>can anyone tell me the outcome, avalability, etc.

>
It comes from Global Information Systems in Wellington.
At the moment it only works with Word Perfect, but other versions are coming.


>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** 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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Wanted: Maori words for use as a program name
From: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
Date: 16 Nov 1992 04:23:22 GMT
Reply-To: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: Wellington City Council, Wgtn, NZ
NNTP-Posting-Host: blade.wcc.govt.nz

>In article <83387@ut-emx.uucp> pjm@ut-emx.uucp (Phillip MacQueen) writes:
>> 
>>   I'm trying to choose a suitable name for a new computer program at the
>> moment, and I'd like the name to be a Maori word with a meaning which is
>> relevant to the purpose of the program. 

whetu' rerere - shooting star

wana - ray of light

Ure-te-ngangana - God of Stars

--
Red
From: jrdodd@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests/Helmet use
Date: 22 Nov 92 17:30:00 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

(Original Post deleted)
> ---
> Dr Nigel Perry                    Email: N.Perry@massey.ac.nz
> Department of Computer Science    Tel: +64 6 356 9099 ext 8900
> Massey University                 Fax: +64 6 350 5611
> Palmerston North
> New Zealand

Well,  check out rec.bicycles.misc (or .soc) and you'll usually find a thread
about helmet use.  At the moment it's discussing helmet (dis)use in Holland
and coming up with all sorts on types of accidents,  types of injuries, 
typical cylists (e.g. commuting vs sport).

I won't add my view as I see it every day in the cycling groups, but the
arguments are usually along the lines of:

Freedom of choice
X years and no accident yet
X accidents and no injuries to head
Standard of cyclist cf likelihood of crashing
Inhibits performance
Rolling/falling techniques.

Sometimes I think the debate should be used in 1st year philosophy classes - it
has no end!

Jonathan

Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: woodhams@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Michael Woodhams)
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University Observatory
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 03:26:07 GMT

In article <1ed003INNgj8@golem.wcc.govt.nz> bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>All this talk of cycle helmets reminds me of a pet groan: the general level of
>driving skills in New Zealand. Frankly, Kiwi drivers are worse than Italians or
>even the French.

Of course the French are better drivers. They have to be careful not
to disturb the limpet mines in the back of the camper van.

Michael W.
From: hist1261@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Date: 20 Nov 92 10:10:21 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1992Nov18.202240.23670@ncar.ucar.edu>, amanning@acd.ucar.edu (Andrew Manning) writes:
> 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????
> 
> 

No.  It's called satire.  Some people who believe in compulsory helmet wearing
seem unable to identify the literary form.  This in itself is not surprising.
Perhaps we should call for a law that calls for the compulsory reading of
Swift and Orwell - it certainly makes more sense than other enforced measures
being currently advocated.

Richard.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: klovatt@klnet.UUCP (Keith Lovatt)
Subject: Re: Who gives a FAQ?
Organization: Lugroid Enterprises
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 04:26:23 GMT
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Paul Qualtrough (paulq@spider.co.uk) wrote:
[...]
: 
: Special praise is due to their observation that NZ is neither Connecticut
: nor Canada, and that the West Island is as close to the North and South ones
: as Moscow is to London.  I'm surprised there has been no other public
: feedback on this submission - I'd have thought at least someone would have
: asked if Kiwis really live on a big fish by now.

Damn, I thought I was still in NZ. Can we have a vote as to whether NZ is
Canada or not?

: In view of the abundance of FAQing silly questions asked in scnz (favourite
: one of recent months: "do New Zealanders speak English?" Answer: "yes"
: Better answer: "no, we only know how to read and write it through access
: to scnz") I move that Rabbi and Mollusc be appointed to compile a monthly
: alternative FAQ file which takes the piss out of some of the naive sub-
: scribers we have, the issues that get aired in scnz, and general happenings
: in Aotearoa.

Bloody good idea about the appointment. Actually I can't even read or write in
English. I hope to learn soon.
-- 
Keith Lovatt                 	|	Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
r-node.gts.org!klnet!klovatt	|	Phone: +1 416 293 0292
doe.utoronto.ca!klnet!klovatt	|    "You can never find a Lugroid
(A Kiwi in Canada)		|	when you really need one"
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
From: Mary.Curtin@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 10:16:23 GMT
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange

In article <1992Nov20.011025.6655@massey.ac.nz> news@massey.ac.nz (USENET News System) writes:

> driving is inherently dangerous etc. The point is SPEED and what goes wrong
> due to it. When cars were slower there wern't so many accidents and no
...
> Bicycles go much the same speed now as they did years ago, typical speed
> is probably around 16Km/h (10mph) - yes we have lighter bikes and faster
> speeds, but not dramatic (even if Phil can hit 50Km/h with the wind behind
> him :-)). Cycling hasn't become dangerous because of any changes to the
> bikes or the way they are ridden, we are being asked to protect oursevles
> from the dangers caused by OTHERS. This does not hold for crash helmets

No, you're being asked to minimise the state's risk in caring for you
if you are badly injured.  What has changed is the probability of
survival if you get a bad head injury.  In times gone by, you simply
would have died.  No we have equipment and techniques to keep you
alive.  So we have to either care for you totally for years and years,
or spend heaps to rehabilitate you - if you get a head injury.


> (It good to see you Kiwi's having a go, whatever side you're arguing. One


Always happy to argue!   :-)



-- 
\   \/   /  |  
 \/\/\/\/   |  mary.curtin@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
From: liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz (Liam Greenwood)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Date: 18 Nov 92 19:51:53 GMT+12
Organization: It's Home, really...
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

USENET News System (news@massey.ac.nz) wrote:
> On Friday it was announced that after an investigation into road
> safety that (a) a zero-alchol limit would not be imposed as it was
> unrealistic and (b) cyclists would be forced to wear helmets.
    The alchohol bit sucks big time. But then I believe that people
who kill while under the influence should face a mandatory charge of
first degree murder (it being pre-meditated)....
> Cycling is not an inherently dangerous activity (certain types might
> be, such as racing, but general cycling is not). As such people should
> not be forced to protect themselves, though if they wish to they may,
> as it violates a fundamental principle that people should be protected
> from injury by others (or from their own activities). NO OTHER section
> of society is forced to protect themselves from injury in this way.
    Motor cyclists are. I don't think of it as forcing people to protect
themselve, but minimizing the ongoing cost to society cause by the extend
of the injuries it is _probable_ that section of the public will sustain.
I also think _all_ seatbelts, helmets and the like should be optional
provided those who chose to not take the prescribed precautions and are
subsequently injured bear the entire cost of any treatment required.

> ---
> Dr Nigel Perry                    Email: N.Perry@massey.ac.nz
> Department of Computer Science    Tel: +64 6 356 9099 ext 8900
> Massey University                 Fax: +64 6 350 5611
> Palmerston North
> New Zealand
    Good job you guys know how to put .sigs on your posting, as your news
server is _still_ too braindead to manage proper headers. Maybe if you let
some of the staff maintain the software instead of those overworked students
in CS 101 :-) ....
--
 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: liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz (Liam Greenwood)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Date: 19 Nov 92 20:06:09 GMT+12
Organization: It's Home, really...
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

 Graeme Moffat (graeme@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz) wrote:
> BTW, I'm totally against the compulsory wearing of helmets by those of us
> capable of making decisions about our own personal safety - about 90% (my
> estimate) of recreational riders wear them now anyway. The problem area is
> the 7-15 year olds, make it compulsory for them. Many schools quite rightly
> have a "no helmet, no bike" policy.

> There's a large number of 4-6 year olds who wear absolutely useless helmets,
> but they tend to ride only around home or on the footpaths, so I guess
> they aren't in any great danger unless it's from a skateboarding 15 year old.
> The important thing is getting them to accept wearing them.
    ...if you only make kids wear helmets then you seriously undermine the
    acceptance you're trying to build up as it will be see as 'grown up' to
    not wear a 'kids' helmet. Just as it's currently seen as 'grown up' (by
    fewer, fortunatly) to get drunk and drive home.

--
 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
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware Bogons
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 19:53:40 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand

In article <1992Nov19.140136.1@csc.canterbury.ac.nz> phys218@csc.canterbury.ac.nz writes:
>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.

And beware of the Elitists for they shall inherit the Earth.  Or at least
won't let the meek feel as though they belong there.

OK it's a fair cop - I was born in England (dammit).  But I have spent several 
years adjusting (most of) my vowels,  learning to say gudday and putting eh 
at the end of my sentences.  

I think the term we, as in 'we the residents of...' was justified in the 
above case.

Derek "Remember to include a genealogical history with every posting" Tearne



-- 
Derek Tearne.   --   derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz   --    Fujitsu New Zealand   -- 
Some of the more aware dinosaurs were worried about the environmental
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.  
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
From: lightw@cetra.trl.OZ.AU (Liron Lightwood)
Subject: MasterCard access in overseas ATM's
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 23:05:40 GMT

I have a MasterCard with an Australian bank.  A while ago, they sent me a
brochure saying that you can use MasterCards in ATM's in many countries
around the world.  I believe I can get a brochure from my bank saying
in which ATM networks in which countries you can get ATM access for
MasterCards.  Perhaps you should ask at your bank, either for this
brochure, or for details about New Zealand.

Even if you cannot get ATM access for your MasterCard, you'll still be able
to get cash advances at many banks over there (when I was there, many banks
displayed the MasterCard logo).

Also, unlike the US, I found that there were lots of money changers (that's
'Bureau de Change' in Kiwi English :-) at least in downtown Auckland.  So
if you bring US cash, you'll be able to change it quite easily, and at
decent exchange rates (unlike in the US, where (my experience) they
give you 10% less than the published exchange rate).

P.S.  What's this PLUS network?  Is it an ATM network confined to NZ, or
is it found in other countries?

Liron Lightwood                     Internet : r.lightwood@trl.oz.au
Telecom Research Laboratories       Phone : +61 3 253 6535
770 Blackburn Road                  Snail : P.O. Box 249 Clayton 3168 Australia
Clayton  Vic. 3168 Australia        Disclaimer : My views are not my company's
From: mrichardson@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: US Gun Lobbyist Visits
Date: 23 Nov 92 10:42:30 -0500
Distribution: world
Organization: Georgetown University

In article <1992Nov22.013405.6199@acme.gen.nz>, kilroy@acme.gen.nz (earthbound misfit, I) writes:
>> > <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.
>> 
>> Ooh! Miss! Miss!  I know! I know!  And I don't think any reason in 
>> support of them (e.g. more effective bunny killing) even comes close 
>> to the myriad of reasons against them (e.g. more effective people 
>> killing by the anti-social, easy conversion, in some cases, to fully 
>> automatic and thus even easier people killing and so on.)
> 
> You're absolutely right. But why stop there? Pump-action shot guns have quite
> rapid rates of fire, let's outlaw them. Even a bolt-action rifle can be fast
> (just ask Lee Harvey Oswald) so let's ban those as well. In fact, no hunter
> can really justify needing a rapid rate of fire so let's make everything
> illegal except nice slow black-powder weapons.
> 
> 						- k
> -- 
> Craig Harding            kilroy@acme.gen.nz             ACME BBS +64 6 3551342
> "Jub'er lbh pnyyvat n obmb?"
You're a big fan of sarcasm, Miss Harding, so here's a little more: Oh 
no! I've been accused of making an ad hoc technological distinction! 
An arbitrary cut-off in what I consider an acceptable weapon in the 
hands of the philosopher Hunters.  How can I defend myself on purely 
logical grounds??  (Sarcasm over.)
In defence of this apparently unwarranted arbitrariness, I ask you to 
consider the following proposition:  Yes, it's arbitrary and... and... 
I DON'T CARE!!
In light of someone's earlier post, I guess it's true that this whole 
debate is really not appropriate to this newsgroup so 	I'll leave it 
at that.  Thank you for your attention.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: where moari dictionary/spell checker?
From: claridge@wronz.org.nz
Date: 16 Nov 92 09:27:59 +1300

Hi, some time ago there was a thread about maori dictionary/spell checker, 
can anyone tell me the outcome, avalability, etc.

Thanks, Robert.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Burling-Claridge, WRONZ, Lincoln, NZ.

e-mail : CLARIDGE@WRONZ.ORG.NZ
snail  : Wool Research Organisation of NZ, 
	 Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

"Why would anyone need a computer of their own ? " -- Ken Olsen, 1974.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: amorgan@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Beware the push bikers
Date: 24 Nov 92 14:44:32 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1eks9rINNhhm@golem.wcc.govt.nz>, bennett_w@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz (William Francis Bennett) writes:
> 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:
>  
> 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.

Commonly known as 'Boguns' (or 'Westies' to Aucklanders)


> 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.

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.


Morgy.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
From: rcbc@virgo.cs.cornell.edu (Robert Cooper)
Subject: Re: Kevlar vests to be made COMPULSORY for pedestrians in NZ
Reply-To: rcbc@cs.cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:59:01 GMT

...one more thing. 

> The CTC (British Cyclists Association) has tested helmets and would argue that
> for a helmet to be tough enough to be really good it would also be too heavy
> for a cyclist to wear - this does not apply to motorcycle helmets as the
> person is sitting still unlike a cyclist who is propelling a bike, and hence
> can wear a heavier helmet.

The CTC has always had a very anti-helmet policy. I don't really understand
why. Bicycle helmets have been made even lighter recently, and much better
ventilated.  Many other bicycling organization endorse helmet use and many
bicycle races require helmet use (a sure way to get kids more keen to wear
helmets).

                -- Robert Cooper
--
--