Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

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Postboxer
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Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by Postboxer »

http://road.cc/content/news/139831-aust ... his-doctor

Not the most comforting name for a doctor, thought it may be a hoax. Surely the PM is qualified to decide for himself whether cycling is too dangerous and do something about it if it is.
mercalia
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by mercalia »

well as far as un happy names for doctors. I used to know a guy at school whose surname was

Coffin

and he trained as a doctor. Self fullfiling prophecy?

I just hope he didnt train as a surgeon :lol:
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Neilo
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by Neilo »

:roll:
No more speeches, he might get a paper cut from his speech papers.

I once met a guy whos surname was Citcat, pronounced Kit-Kat, I had to try very hard not to laugh.
If it aint broke, fix it til it is.
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661-Pete
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by 661-Pete »

mercalia wrote:I used to know a guy at school whose surname was
Coffin
IIRC, "Peter Coffin" was the name of a character in Moby Dick - not a doctor at least. Mind you, there are lots of weird names in that book.

Neilo wrote:I once met a guy whos surname was Citcat, pronounced Kit-Kat, I had to try very hard not to laugh.

The much-publicised leader of the Green-led Brighton and Hove Council is called Jason Kitcat, yes he too apparently got a lot of stick at school (and is still getting it now).
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661-Pete
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by 661-Pete »

As for Abbott & That Ilk - well I've long thought that Oz and NZ are a 'lost cause' as far as promotion of cycling is concerned - I'm hoping someone will come in and prove me wrong! But it reminds me of an (American) former MD of mine at work, who was bothered (me being apparently 'unreplaceable' or something) about me cycling the meagre 2 miles to the workplace. He dropped hints that he'd prefer me to sport a suit-of-armour or whatnot. Don't get me wrong: he was an excellent manager and I got on well with him. But as far as his attitude to cycling was concerned, he was a total prat.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
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Cunobelin
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by Cunobelin »

Slightly OT

This was picked up by the back page section of New Scientist many years ago and given the name "nominative determinism" much more catchy than the original "aptronym"

There were some wonderful examples:
iviehoff
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by iviehoff »

Postboxer wrote:http://road.cc/content/news/139831-australias-pm-tony-abbott-told-get-his-bike-his-doctor
Not the most comforting name for a doctor, thought it may be a hoax. Surely the PM is qualified to decide for himself whether cycling is too dangerous and do something about it if it is.

Classic case of argument from anecdote. Of course the Australians have made cycling safer by requiring them all to wear helmets. I am rather reminded of General Pinochet seeking medical treatment in Britain, thus tacitly admitting he had failed to improve Chilean medical services to international standards. Clearly Mr Abbott, being a cyclist, should seek to make it reasonably safe such that protective equipment is not required.

The name Killer could be a variant of the Turkish name Ciller (pronounced chill air): the former prime minister of Turkey, Tansu Ciller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tansu_%C3%87iller has a son called Berk.

But more likely it is from the German village of Killer, in the Killertal valley. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burladingen
axel_knutt
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by axel_knutt »

mercalia wrote:well as far as un happy names for doctors. I used to know a guy at school whose surname was

Coffin

and he trained as a doctor. Self fullfiling prophecy?

I just hope he didnt train as a surgeon :lol:


Perhaps he's the same Dr Coffin that used to be listed in our local Thompson Directory, along with a Dr Pain [sic].
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Tonyf33
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by Tonyf33 »

The name of the registrar on my sons birth certifcate is Florence E De'ath, think she is long retired now but how appropriate a name for the office of births, deaths & marriages :lol:

As for the Dr killer, it's just more to back up the notion that Australian doesn't give a flying fig about cyclist safety, as one responder on the Road CC comment section said,
"Skip the bulls@@t Aus, and please skip the {rude descriptive word removed hitherto asterix'd} useless kangaroo nonsense.

just blinking* admit your country hates cycling and ban it. That's far less objectionable than the "we're really pro cyclling, honest... I mean, our police will call you cockroaches, our cricketers will run you over for fun, you'll have to wear a silly plastic hat and STILL be more likely to die here than almost any other developed country" doublespeak. Just be blinking* honest."

Pretty much sums it up.. :twisted:
Psamathe
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Re: Cycling 'Too Dangerous' for Australian PM

Post by Psamathe »

661-Pete wrote:As for Abbott & That Ilk - well I've long thought that Oz and NZ are a 'lost cause' as far as promotion of cycling is concerned - I'm hoping someone will come in and prove me wrong! But it reminds me of an (American) former MD of mine at work, who was bothered (me being apparently 'unreplaceable' or something) about me cycling the meagre 2 miles to the workplace. He dropped hints that he'd prefer me to sport a suit-of-armour or whatnot. Don't get me wrong: he was an excellent manager and I got on well with him. But as far as his attitude to cycling was concerned, he was a total prat.

He does seem one of the Climate Change deniers (or at least one of those who regards it as a side issue and that worries about it should not be allowed to impact Australia's economy, mining interests, etc) e.g. his plans for the Galilee Basin.

And I may be completely wrong but it has struck me that right wing politicians seem less concerned about promoting and encouraging cycling than left wing ones (ignoring who is actually riding a bike and who isn't). And Abbott strikes me as pretty far right ...

Ian
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