I Think I See the Problem

From The West, a story of fishing and over-fishing (25 Aug, p62):

"We don't understand what all the fuss is about."

Attributed to Guy Leyland, WA Fishing Industry Council.

Okay, it's probably just a poor choice of words. As a lesson on sloppy speech (or sloppy reporting), let's take it as stated:

We don't understand. Perhaps "we" should try to understand. Then, perhaps, it will look as though "we" know what we are talking about.

More importantly:

If we try to understand before we state an opinion, it may look like a considered opinion. Rather than looking like an unthinking and rote statement of a strongly biassed position.

"We don't understand" sounds like "We don't care."

Take care with language. Or you will be misunderstood.

The Miracle of Sunday Trading

It's a genuine miracle! Check this report from The West (25 Aug, p57):

"Premier Colin Barnett received a phone call from a woman shortly after the agreement was published. Mr Barnett recalled: "She said '... have Sunday trading.'"

Is this a miracle or what!?

A person phones a politician. And actually gets to speak to that politician!

That's worth a second exclamation mark.

A person phones a politician. And actually gets to speak to that politician!!

A true miracle.

Parking problems... solved

Your problems? Solved. email nick leth at gmail dot com. No worries. Now.

There was a letter in the paper just a couple of days ago that was so right-- yet at the same time... so wrong. The topic was public transport.

 To encourage use of public transport ( wrote the writer) we need... more parking.

 You can see the logic. More parking at the railway station allows more people to drive to the station, to park their cars, to catch a train to work. More parking equals more use of public transport.

 Except...

 What is the real problem?

 If the problem were under-use of public transport, then fine. The real problem is over-use of cars.

We already dedicate enormous amounts of space to cars: parking and driveway at home, roads for any place we may want to drive, parking at any place we may want to stop... All to encourage increased use -- and ownership -- of cars.

 Each time we drive our car we add to pollution. We add to road congestion. We burn expensive fuel. We prevent other family members from using -- sharing -- the car. We bring the car just a little bit closer to needing to be replaced.

 Driving from home to the station does all of this. Over less distance. For a longer time. You drive for ten minutes. The car is unavailable for eight or nine hours. (Except to car thieves, of course.) Your garage is empty while your car occupies a public parking space. Which could otherwise be a pleasant garden area.

 The real problem is our over-use of cars.

 Use public transport -- and leave the car at home.

 We need a convenient way to get from home to the railway station... without using the car.

 We need shuttle buses. Around the catchment area for a single railway station. In rush hour. From the station, round the suburbs, back to the station. Repeat. Regularly. Till the rush is over. Then again, at the other end of the work day.

 Make it easy to use the train. Reduce the need to use a car.

 Under-use of public transport may be a problem. A much greater problem is our over-use of cars. More parking spaces for cars will just make for more problems.

 Suburban shuttle buses for each railway station... That will actually solve the real problem.

Independent thinking & independent analysis of your problems. Agamedes Consulting: Support for your thought. email nick leth at gmail dot com