They are there and watching

I am now fully integrated into the Australian country...

I was coming home from work the other day when a cop pulled me over on the side of the road. Sounds like a pretty typical event, but this time was really embarrassing as I was riding my push bike. No car, no running motor, just me and my push bike pulled over on the side of the road with the cop lights flashing all around and people looking at me like "what the heck did she do!"

Well, it turns out I forgot to turn on my lights, which is a requirement to ride a night. Luckily he just gave me a warning as this is a law to protect my safety. Although it was a warning I still got a ticket which was only (to quote the cop) "to make sure people know I'm doing my job."

Done and done - but that is the thing about Australia. They make quite a few laws to protect your safety and enforce them. The other thing I have noticed is how the government runs shock ads to scare people into obeying the laws. Such a one commercial about how it is important to wear your seat belt.

The commercial starts off with a mom driving her two young teens to school. She is nervous about a van that is following her and when she glances in the rear view mirror, she slams into the back of a parked car (not bad so far). Then you see her son fly into the back of her seat (he was not wearing his seat belt) which pushes her head into the steering wheel and ultimately kills her (yeah this is on during prime time). Her daughter sits there screaming and the son is stunned about what happens with blood all over his face. Last flash to the mom who is still not moving and cuts to a black screen with the govt. logo reminding us to wear our seat belts. Needless to say I always wear my seat belt in OZ.