While swimming with my grand-kids at Little Beach in Nelson Bay I noticed a power boat approaching a section of the shore just near us. Although there are always boats around this area because of a nearby boat ramp this boat was noticeable because it was black instead of the usual white, and on the side of the boat in big gold letters was “PLAYER”, in caps no less. OK, they have my attention so I couldn’t help but follow the boat to its destination, the shore. As it got closer I noticed two blokes both wearing “men-in-black” sun glasses. My initial thought was the boat was an advertisement of some kind and was half expecting two sexy blokes to jump out once it reached the shore. Wishful thinking because when they finally reached the shore two tanned large gutted blokes, complete with fags hanging out of their mouths, jumped out of the boat onto the beach. There goes my hunk, boat, disembark dream.
No sooner did their feet hit the beach when speeding towards them was a black jet ski with a driver who was also tanned but with a little less body bulk unlike his counterparts, but like his counterparts had a fag dangling between his lips. Needless to say they were acquaintances as they all linked up to finish their fags on the beach. Of course I didn’t see any of them head for the nearest bin to throw away the butts.
Really, am I in an alternative universe? Under what circumstances does one need a fag while driving a boat let alone a jet ski? Do they not realise how bogan and feral they look? I was thinking that either bogan is the new norm or maybe I’m a snob?
I would have to say “No” – bogan is certainly not the new norm, at least I hope not. However, I’m starting to doubt my hypotheses on this subject given my Australia Day observation. And “Yes”, I concede that maybe I am a snob.
Besides whether I’m a snob or not (clearly I am) and besides whether one needs to smoke while driving a jet ski (this one I can’t fathom) the main issue that really bothers me about the bogans I’ve observed over the last couple of days is they treat their surroundings (our country) like a big rubbish bin. I loath to see fag butts on the beach, on the shore, floating in the water, or anywhere for that matter. Does smoking give you a licence to throw it anywhere but a bin? And would they question me if I dropped a used greasy chip bag on the ground in front of them? Which is essentially the same, it’s all littering and the last time I looked there is a law against littering.
And if you see someone throwing a butt out of their car, dob them in – I did a few years ago. Sydney was experiencing some pretty wild fires within the suburbs and on the outskirts and on one particularly hot dry windy day while I was dropping into McDonalds for an icy drink I noticed a women in a large four wheel drive with a very distinctive number plate of which I can’t recall now but it was one word – reminds me of the ‘PLAYER” boat described above. Come to think about it they’re probably related as the driver, a female, looked like a real live bogan. Anyway, as she was pulling out of McDonalds with her kids in the back she flicked a lite cigarette out of the car window.
There are several aspects of this act that I have a real ‘big’ issue with:
- The feral cow was smoking with kids in the car. Don’t get me started on this one.
- It was hot and windy and the air was filled with smoke from bush fires so how dumb was this bogan to add to the danger by throwing a lite smoke out the window. Also every radio channel was talking all about the dangers of doing the very same thing.
Anyway, I rang the radio station I was listening too because just before this offence they gave a contact number where people like me (snobby dobbers) could call and dob in an offender, and I had missed the number. Immediately after getting the number off the radio stations assistant I rang the number and proudly dobbed the bogan fag thrower in.
Although I was aware they wouldn’t be fined I was assured they would receive a warning letter. And low and behold a couple of weeks later I received a letter thanking me for my good dead and I was assured a letter was sent to the offender.
Ah, there should be more people like me – wonderfully snobby dobbers (if I don’t say so myself).
For more information on the damage butt throwing is doing our environment and the laws surrounding littering please nosey around the following sites:
