Society has officially turned to dog cr@p

[ozhunter]

We knew it already, but it never quite hits home until it happens to you or your family.

This morning at a bit after 8am my 75 year old father was knocked to the ground and punched and kicked by some lowlife dirt bag.

We where moving sheep down the main road, as we start our second round of shearing tomorrow. Dad was behind the sheep, I had gone ahead to put the stock signs out and turn the sheep up a lane.

I heard a V8 engine really getting going and moments later two cars came past me, both P platers, both going way to fast. Thought nothing of it. I was half a mile or so away from Dad and never saw or heard anything.

About 20 minutes later we met at another intersection to take the sheep to the shed.

Dad got out of his cruiser and limped over to mine and proceeded to tell me what happened.

The car drove toward the sheep way to fast (a common occurance now-a-days as less people know anything about the land or stock).

The car then proceeded to push the sheep with his bumper bar. Naturally Dad got out of his cruiser to stop the bloke (one ewe costs about $200 to replace) from running any sheep over, and tapped on the boot to stop the bloke.

The bloke got out of his car, punched Dad, knocked him to the ground and started kicking him, all the while yelling abuse at him. He then got in his car and roared off (which is what I heard)

The old man lost a bit of skin and will be pretty sore tomorrow, but otherwise physically OK. Mentally may be a different story, and his generation don't really talk about that sort of thing.

But wait, it gets better, the other six or seven people in the two cars (the V8 and another non-descript rice burner) sat and watched it take place and didn't lift a finger.

Dad was too shaken to get a number plate, and I didn't take any notice when I saw the car, other then it was a loud V8 and may have been a P76, or a big ol' fairlane.

I rang the cops, but naturally there is nothing they can do without a few details. Dad doesn't want to go to the police (I spent all day trying to convince him)

I told him I was sorry I was not there to do something, he reckons it's a good thing I wasn't (he has some inkling of what I used to do for a living in the goals) and in hind sight it probably is, but that didn't stop me from wanting to tear this parasite limb from limb.

It is beyond belief to me that such people are allowed to live or that they something like this to a 75 year old man. As I said, you hear about it on the news, but it is never as real as when it happens to your family.

These two car loads of pieces of cr@p and all the others like them should be rounded up into stock yards, tied up short and rogered with the rough end of a pineapple and then sent to Libya or Afghanistan or somewhere.

I am pretty certain they where not from anywhere in the district, as a car like that sticks in the memory.

I just don't understand how society has gotten to this level.

[Kev Y.]

Keep an eye out for them OZ, if the car was that distinctive it should be easy to recognize. Who knows they may get their own back, Karma can be a bastard.

[ozhunter]

You can bet your left trouser pocket. I'll know that car instantly if I ever see it again.

I hope karma is a sadist that likes pineapples.

[FenceFurniture]

Jaysus Adam, that's a bloody disgrace. I'll be damned if he's not a tough old rooster, but as you say, copping something like that at his age, and not being able to do anything about it, could give him a nice little mental scar.

Yep, reckon it was probably for the overall best that you weren't there - we'd not like to see a member as a guest of the system that you previously administered.

[ozhunter]

Yeah, I think it has affected him more than he is letting on. But he won't let on till it's built to boiling point.

I worry for my kids, that this sort of thing is becoming almost a weekly occurance. What's it gonna be like for them in 30 years time. Bring in concealed carry I say.

[Scott]

I'm completely lost for words. Hope your Dad is okay, for now and the long term.

[artme]

Bloody disgraceful behaviour!!!!

After having lived in farming and grazing areas for a good bit of my life I have seen some bloody stupid behaviour around stock.

That pales into insignificance, however, when I think about what happened to your father.

I trust he will recover quickly and that some form of justice is coming the way of these louts.

Regards to your father and you.

Cheers, artme.

[A Duke]

I hope your dad gets over it OK.
It's all too common, there was an item in the news of a 72 year old and his lap dog being attacked, with the bloke being kicked in the face.
I suppose us old timers should keep our knowledge to our selves in stead of telling these young punks what they are. Some of them don't seem to appreciate the info.
Regards

[rwbuild]

Brings back memory's of herding the cows between the grazing paddock and the milking shed (60 head)
Anyway, during the summer months we used to get a lot of city people coming up to the river skiing. One of them was a well known person who had an up market cloths shop for blokes and he used to bring 1 or 2 female friends with him in his convertible.
Anyway, this particular day I was herding them down the road and along he comes with is lady friends and starts pushing through the herd. I said hang on, I will lead you through, no he was too impatient so he started nudging his way. Well, we had this bludy minded brindle cow (only kept her because she was a good milker) and she wouldn't get out of his way, so he gave her a bit of a razz up with the loud horns and a hard nudge. She stopped, turned her head to look at him, lifted her tail and proceed to do a very runny autograph over the bonnet of his car which got sucked into the grill and radiator.....sorry cant print what followed except that all the locals still laugh about it today

[Bushmiller]

Brings back memory's of herding the cows between the grazing paddock and the milking shed (60 head)
Anyway, during the summer months we used to get a lot of city people coming up to the river skiing. One of them was a well known person who had an up market cloths shop for blokes and he used to bring 1 or 2 female friends with him in his convertible.
Anyway, this particular day I was herding them down the road and along he comes with is lady friends and starts pushing through the herd. I said hang on, I will lead you through, no he was too impatient so he started nudging his way. Well, we had this bludy minded brindle cow (only kept her because she was a good milker) and she wouldn't get out of his way, so he gave her a bit of a razz up with the loud horns and a hard nudge. She stopped, turned her head to look at him, lifted her tail and proceed to do a very runny autograph over the bonnet of his car which got sucked into the grill and radiator.....sorry cant print what followed except that all the locals still laugh about it today

RW

I love stories like that.

Oz

I'm sorry your sheep couldn't do something unpleasant to the hoon cars. I also hope your Dad is ok. Tell him that at least he is able to talk about it. Finally, from what you say it is probably just as well you didn't use the skills from your former occupation as that too can backfire. The lady carrying the scales of justice is not a good example of the fair sex and justice is not even-handed.

Thanks Fence Furniture for the translation. I was trying to equate a goalkeeper with martial arts and self preservation. It just wasn't working.

However Oz, in all seriousness, I can understand why an unprovocated act like that would bring out another side to your nature. It would incense any person and with a close family tie that makes it so much worse .

Regards
Paul

[chambezio]

It makes me mad to hear stories like that!!!!!!!!!NO BLOODY RESPECT!!!!!!!!!
For man nor beast. There can be no good reason for the hoon's behaviour.

I hope Dad is OK.


Deep breathe.
When ever we come across stock on the road I always slow right down to the stock's speed or slower. We have had rolling drought for some years now so there would always be someone on the road moving there sheep or cattle to some where else. If they are feeding along the "long paddock" the attendees have a long long day to fill in so if they are close to the vehicle I always ask "Taking the family for walk?". Its amazing just how many times those people will stop and have a chat with you.
If you have to wade through the stock I just creep along. I always say to the kids that Miss cow will say to another Miss cow "I'll bet you I can make this car stop, you watch", and sure enough just as you get close to her she will lift her head and just mosey on across the road with a dutyfull pause right in front of you as she goes

[Bob38S]

Hope the old fella recovers quickly - perhaps if he sees some of these posts he may realise that there are "white hats" out there in society - I can't explain the moronic mongrels who watched it happen - does a mobile phone call cost that much to 000? or at least a bit of paper with the make, model, number plate to give to the old fella.

I would have to agree to concealed carry with some reservations - unfortunately at the moment it appears that only the crims have that ""right"".

I was told a long time ago that there is not much you can carry in the car that can't be classified as a weapon eg hammer, screwdriver, stilson etc -- except for a steering wheel lock ---'nuf said...

[ozhunter]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

The old man isn't handling it very well. When I saw him this morning, he looked like he hadn't slept. He also told me not to broadcast what had happened (meaning to the people in the shed).

He still refuses to talk to the police. Even though little can be done in this case, it is my experience that a lot of little dots can be joined together over time to form a picture of an ahole that needs dealing with.

A week or so will show if he is handling it OK.

I have never felt so useless in my life. Everytime I go over what happened, I come back to the same thing, that I was close by, but oblivious to what was occuring, and powerless to do anything about it.


Dealing with travelling livestock should be part of driver education. I do admit there are repeat offenders out there that leave stock signs up for days after the stock have been shifted, but I still treat them all the same.

It is our experience that once stock are accustomed to travelling on the road, they stick more to the sides and sort of automatically move for vehicles. Stock in the long paddock are funny to watch. I've seen cattle that had been on the road that long, they where like a drunk finding his way home. On the white line, and nothing will deter them from their course. They don't even look sideways at a vehicle passing within inches of them.

Again thanks for the kind words.

And FWIW, never pick up a "weapon", pick up the first thing that you come across. A weapon gives an indication of fore-thought. "The first thing I saw" gives an indication of spur of the moment (at least in my experience)