You're Wrecking It!

Yobs spoil Bali

My wife and I, also with many friends, have had trips to Bali for holidays over the past 20 years. We found the people there very, very friendly and obliging to all visitors who help them to make their living.

We find now that things have changed alarmingly by the influx of the "yobbo" type from Australia who seem to delight in leaving our airports in nothing but singlets, shorts and thongs, boarding aircraft with their smelly arm pits and in mind to consume as much of the complimentary alcoholic drinks as possible.

Consequently, they are rowdy during the near four-hour flight, much to the annoyance of other respectful travellers (sic). Then, when in Bali, their untidy dress, manners and attitude make one cringe and we have to wonder just who are the Third World-people?

It has put us off thinking about going to Bali now and, while pleased the influx of people is helping the Balinese and their poor economy, we wonder what will be the outcome, especially with their thoughts about the untidy Australians?

We wonder now where the niceness of travelling by plane on holidays in casual, but tidy gear has gone.

Come on; wake up young people before it is too late.

We can do a lot better than this: think of your image and also consider having a little respect for your own country.

Is it the cheap fares and accommodation that cause this behaviour...or our upbringing?

Name and address supplied.

Guardian Express, Perth, April 6 2010

How dare they? All those bogans with their Bintang singlets, thongs and penchant for mass alcohol consumption;when will they ever learn? They're wrecking Bali, that cultural mecca, for all the rest of the Australian tourists. How embarrassment.

Did enjoy the creative approach to grammar though, and the paradigm jolting questions to ponder.

Families ruin it for us all

Idiots ruin it for us all

I saw on the news that the Australia Day fireworks have been declared alcohol-free, which sounds fantastic if we lived in a perfect world (but then again if we lived in a perfect world, we wouldn't be needing an alcohol ban, would we?).

I am a non-drinker and see the idiocies of people who have been drinking, especially after a whole day in the heat, and once again these idiots have ruined it for the families who make a day of it having a barbecue and a glass of wine.

This is something families have been doing for more years than half of these people have been alive.

Declaring the event a totally alcohol-free event will only see people take alcohol disguised- and spirits such as bourbon and coke already mixed in bottles of coke, lemonade or orange juice are the easiest disguised, but also from what I've seen, more intoxicating than beer, especially over a whole day in the heat.

It will be interesting to see whether this total alcohol ban makes people go elsewhere, or will it bring just as much trouble as in previous years?

Rachael Harlock, Clarkson.
Guardian Express, Perth, January 19, 2010.

Why oh why don't we live in a perfect world? Because then we'd have nothing to write letters to the editor about. We particularly enjoyed the instructions on how to smuggle in alcohol, carefully included with the condemnation for doing so. Also the handy hint that spirits may be more intoxicating than beer. Heavens.

Nevermind the Fence, My Son Has Autism!

Just Who is Disabled?

Two days before Christmas I again awoke to ugly, black graffiti scrawled on my Balcatta property.

I was hoping to make it unscathed to Christmas Day, but didn't quite get there.

In the big scheme of things, it's not a catastrophe. I will send a report to the council, and they will come and fix it.

I have a son with high-functioning autism, and I can't put it in a report to anyone to come and fix that up, and sometimes I wonder if I would, even if I had the chance.

My son would not dream of doing such mindless damage to people's property.

I am a single mother, and he knows how hard I work to take care of him and make a nice home for us both.

My son has been to Tafe, has a part-time job and does voluntary work every week with animals. He does not smoke, drink or do drugs. He does not roam the neighbourhood at night vandalising people's properties.

It makes you wonder just who has the disability, doesn't it?

Name and Address supplied, Perth Voice, 2009.

Holy freaking tangent, Batman! While we applaud the writer's parenting abilities and think that her son sounds like a wonderful young man, is this really the best forum to ponder on autism repair services?

-Not the Editor