Wally's tales

The Air Port Security forces are at it again, they now wish to toughen up Security on our Domestic and Air Link Services. ( That’s the small plane fleet) And who do you think is going to pay for this ‘Peace of mind’. Of course you are silly billy. Do we need this additional protection from perceived Local Terrorists, or is it only another ‘Make Work’ Scheme? I’m of the opinion all that needs to be done, is to isolate the pilots from the passengers, so a locked door between the cabin and the pilots is all that is required. Any determined terrorist, or what ever you wish to call these Deranged people, they will always find a way to by pass any and all security checks, they have proved thus in the past. The authorities are crowing over what they have discovered, in the form of nail scissors, and files, Swiss pocket knives, and a host of other small ‘brick a brac’, all proudly displayed in many glass cases at various Air Ports. In my mind this is a pitiful collection. I can’t imagine anyone holding up a plane with many of the items displayed. For instant if you were kitting out a Terrorist Cell, took them to our security cabinets of retrieved and confiscated so called weapons, saying, ‘You can help yourself to what ever you want from our collection. They would probably fall over laughing.

Another thing that needs to change and that is the attitude that’s instilled into our culture from birth, and that’s our political correctness towards people intent on doing you harm. That’s the acceptance that most bad people are not really out to do you serious harm or cause general mayhem. So long as you meekly go along with the herd, do as you are told, then all will be OK. In the case where the Terrorists took over commercial planes ‘twelve eleven’ to fly into the twin Towers, only one group of passengers took matters into their own hands and fought back, they nearly saved the day for themselves. At least they did try, and more to the point they did prevent the Terrorists from flying the plane into the White House, or what other prime target they had in mind. They at least stopped acting like pathetic animals caught in the headlights of a vehicle bearing down on them and froze into inaction. To give in, be compliant, is what the authorities would like us all do, give into their demands, but that’s not what I believe you should do.

Unfortunately in this country when you try to fight back you can end up being treated like a criminal, and what’s more arrested. Take the recent case of the Indian shop keeper who took a hockey stick to defend himself from a knife welding robber. For his trouble he was arrested and charged for aggravated behaviour. At least the Courts showed some common sense, while they didn’t award him a medal, they tossed the case out. I’m afraid in my opinion the Police are the wrong people to give control of over situations where a malcontent is busy spraying bullets around the neighbourhood. I’m not sure what the problem is, but suspect it’s the media exposure, and the roasting that follows by the professional ‘nit pickers’. What ever they do they are subject to criticism, and given buckets of advice of what they should have done. They act in the same when ever there is an accident out on the road. They lock up the whole scene for a day, the dislocation they cause by this action is never questioned, or the time they take to mull over the situation. What they are really doing, is protecting their rear again. If this was to be the norm I can see when our earlier wars were fought in this manner, no wonder we had ‘One Hundred Years’ Wars.

I heard one high up Officer explain away why they took a whole day to get themselves into gear when the lad David Gray ran amuck at Aramoana. They said they didn’t know exactly where he was. I would have had no argument with this if were only him and the Police involved, as far as I am concerned they can take a week. But in this case there were people lying around wounded, some considered dead or dying, others holed up in their homes. So even in the face of this they waited 23 hours until he made a move. Of course again the media were out in full force, all arraigned on a high advantage point, with their cameras covering the whole area. This task should have been given to the Army who are specialists in this area of expertise. They wouldn’t required a day to plan their next move. The Police said they didn’t know where the lad was holed up, but in a war the enemy, don’t go around holding up flags, calling out, ‘We are here’! You have to go out on patrol, and winkle them out.

With the continuing loss of jobs to a large sector of our community, without a doubt some will be heading for a period of belt tightening, and as well, a large dollop of relative poverty. Like it or like it not, everyone has a different idea of what the experience of real poverty is, and what’s more how to handle it. Some in this life have always had it good, many can’t possibly do without the so called good things of life, their expensive Cars, Sky Television, Telephone, Mobile telephones, Heat, Takeaways, the list is endless when you come to add up what makes up the ‘Good Life’. I haven’t even got around to the more mundane things such as Mortgage repayments, Medical Insurance, Private School fees. I know my list seems endless, and all absolutely necessary. Someone once said, for some families spending always exceeds income, some of it always seems to end up on their ‘Cards’, we will attend to that next month. Many people too have no idea of how to downsize, and balance their living expenses. A short period of living on their ‘Dole’ money entitlement, I know will soon motivate them. No one should starve, if the current levels of Benefit Payments are maintained. I only hope in many cases that their marriages are strong enough for the test it is going to be given. In the past and in 1930’s many of our older folk experienced a depression, (this is the only one I have had any personal experience of) then people were not only denied many of life’s pleasures, but many times sad to say, many families went to bed hungry. During this time the unemployed benefit was a ten times more basic than today, so basic that for many there was no money for anything other than to pay their rent, and put some very fundamental food onto the table. This was a terrible inditement on the Government of the day, there was plenty of food in the country. It seemed the only problem was distribution, I suppose also pressure from existing traders, as any free handouts would effected their business which was suffering as well. Sheep at one time were worth only 10 cents each,

In times past I used to do volunteer budget work, I found that in many cases, the problems in families were the same, regardless of each candidate’s financial position. It didn’t seem to matter whether the people in trouble drove up in a BMW, or rode a push bike. The solution seemed always to be the same, to take the immediate pressure off them so that they could think straight, then try to get them to live within their means. And of course let go a lot of expensive things we used to think that comes under the heading of indispensable. Simple things such as a refrigerator or washing machine are, but with reduced cash flow ‘Sky Television’ isn’t and when you only have a benefit to live on, you don’t have many choices, and it’s surprising what you can do without.

Strangely for older people it isn’t all that difficult to manage, as most of us have already had a taste of living frugally. As well, in our youth many didn’t enjoy what is now called today’s necessities of life, or luxury’s. We managed even without a telephone, the corner call box gave us all the communication we required to our extended family and friends. For many cases of folk in trouble, I blame many of the lending institutions and finance companies. In many cases where people have lost their homes, or are in danger of, the problem can be traced back to when the loan was first issued. Loans being handed out a few years back were set up to fail. I’m talking about 100% loans, and interest only. This was an exercise in stupidity. Once the housing market went into decline, the clients were in a flash put into a position where they now had an ‘negative’ interest in the property. Add sickness, or the loss of a job to this equation, and you now have a situation that’s beyond help.

Even at the threshold of a depression we were experiencing a wave of burglaries, especially around our Universities and other areas where flats are plentiful. (The Insurance companies load premiums in our CBD. and the district bounded by the four Avenues, as burglars it seems are not prepared to walk very far.) We have one section of our young if they can’t get the ‘Good Things of Life’ one way, they are prepared to help themselves by breaking and entering. They know if caught they will be treated leniently, it’s just a cry for help.

I have never been a good gambler, but I do enjoy a game of cards, perhaps with a small stake to add to the interest of the game. My canny background would never allow me to play for high stakes. Slot machines are one of the worst games of chance, they leave me cold. I know that they are all pre-programmed to win, with odds loaded heavily in favour of Government and the owners. To see people sitting alongside a row of machines, all with pottles of real money, trance like and seemingly mesmerised by their flashing screens. It makes you wonder if they have more money than sense. Many of these too are well on the way to becoming ‘Problem Gamblers’. I would imagine that many times the family’s food money, went down the tube. Reason and logic should tell them, in the long run they can’t win.

One amusing incident in my past and involving my gambling happened soon after I had joined the Bank. I was given the task of overseeing the destruction of the banks collection of cheques and vouchers all kept and stored on the premises. Several truck loads in fact. By law, they had to be kept for a statuary number of years, and naturally they took up a lot of space. Rather than just burning them in an industrial furnace as in the past, the Bank this time had arranged with a paper salvager to shred, and recycle our many years supply of paper. Unfortunately, a few of these cheques had a carbon backing, so a copy could be kept by the issuer. Seeing this was a contaminant, it had to be removed before they were pushed into the shredding machines. I soon tired of watching this operation, I inquired from the owners if they had a spare pair of overalls, I would then assist with the task. Because of this gesture, I was then invited to be included in all their other activities. One of which was the card game of ‘Euchre’ which they all played with a passion, without fail in every break, morning and afternoon tea, and as well lunch. I soon summed up their playing skill, which was not very high. They, (the employees), it seemed were more focussed on gaining a Euchre, which they enforced with whoops of joy. Not looking at the big picture and the winning of the game. To play, it cost a shilling a game, the Boss and I quickly formed a partnership, and we over a month, managed to extract a small but steady stream of income from these clowns, amounting to five, six, or even seven shillings a day. Not much, I hear you say, but when you are only earning Six Pounds a week (Twelve Dollars) my winnings really took on some significance. Everyone in the Bank seemed to be taking an interest in these games of skill as well. The Accountant’s first question on my return each day was. ‘How much did you win today’? On receiving an answer, it was quickly passed around the Bank. However it all changed one day, and all turned to custard for me, when the owner of the factory said, ‘He had received a ‘Hot’ tip on a horse. Would I give him ‘Ten Shillings’ and he would then include me on the bet he was going to place’. Before I left to go home that night he passed me Eight Pounds, my winnings. Wow! The effect this news on my return was nothing short of astounding. This win, on my return was quickly flashed around the Bank, even reaching the Manager, who popped out of his office demanding, ‘Why didn’t I think to ring the Bank, and pass on this priceless piece of intelligence?’ The fact I didn’t even know the name of the horse, wasn’t a valid excuse. Upshot was, I was immediately removed from my job and replaced by, ‘A more responsible Officer’. The manager said, ‘He didn’t want any of his young employees corrupted by an addition to gambling’. I should tell you that at the time I was thirty years of age, married with two children. I had grown up very fast in the Army, which I had entered as a private as an eighteen year old, as soon as I could however, transferred over to the Air Force where I became a Pilot. I considered myself very worldly wise. If you want to learn about life, join the Services during a War.

I have never yet made a visit to our local Casino as I’m not attracted to what they have to offer. However, in Australia, we were regular patrons to gambling establishments because of their dining benefits. Also, the Australian Sporting Clubs which are also heavily into gambling machines, row upon row, all fully manned with patrons feeding their money into them as fast as they can. Which in turn, is subsidising their food and drinking facilities, again, we were quick to exploit this subsidised dining.