I liked it so much I sent it to MonkeyFilter; while I don't have the same pain as the article's author, I can certainly testify to the pain of trying to cope with the dietry position du jour. Also unlike the author, I know people who do have bona fide allergies to particular classes of foodstuff. But when one knows vegetarians and vegans who won't eat garlic, peppers, and onions, one quickly reaches the end of a cooking tether. What am I meant to do for flavour?
I now have a very good idea of what a Subaru Legacy sedan looks like when viewed upside down, courtesy of an inappropriately executed u-turn by the driver of said vehicle. Cue somersaulting rider, pillion, and motorcycle. I am happy to note, though, that all that expensive leather, armour, and crash helmet does work as advertised, with both of us walking away with no more than a few bruises to show for it.
This was in mid-December, and a stretch of some of the best weather Wellington has seen in a while; naturally, when I got my bike back this week (looking, I might add, better than new), the weather had largely closed in. Apart from being humid enough to make wearing full leathers a portable sauna.
Despite the unfortunate experience with the car, I have decidedly mixed feelings about this story. Catching drunk drivers? Good. Police harrassment? Bad. These plans seem to be leaning in to the territory of the latter.
I'd be hard-pressed to come up with an alternative, though, and something I'd dislike even more is the spectacle of enhancing police powers to deal with the problem, which seems to be the other popular solution when people are led to feel a problem isn't being resolved correctly. It does amaze and appall me that some people simply cannot quite grasp the point - you do not get into a car (or indeed, on a pushbike, or any other form of transport capable of propelling you at speed) when not competant to control it safely.
No doubt members of the so-called hospitality industry will be whining about the police rounding up their best customers, but after their efforts in getting the proposed drop in the drink-driving limits killed, fuck 'em. I'd be happy, in fact, to see the police apply a similarly low-tolerance approach to publicans serving drunks. Especially repeat ones.