Down Under has become the soft underbelly of the world…
There used to be a time when Australians weren’t afraid to get some dirt under their fingernails, drive muscle cars, and not drape themselves in bubble wrap. Unfortunately, those days are over as many Aussies have voluntarily handed in their man card. Case in point: police pulled over a guy in Queensland because he modified his Ford Falcon to look like the hero car in the original Mad Max movie.
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According to ABC News, after the driver was pulled over, police issued a fine “for driving a defective vehicle.” They also required the driver to get a “roadworthy certificate.” Sounds pretty serious and it’s obvious Queensland Police are in a huff about this incident.
But then we started to read about what was “wrong” with this Ford Falcon and it’s like reading parody. For starters, the cops were in an uproar about the supercharger rising gloriously out of the hood. Apparently, it’s now illegal in Australia to have anything coming out of the hood of a car since that could hurt a pedestrian you mow down. Safety is always first in Australia, so you know.
What’s more, this scofflaw’s Falcon “had exhaust hanging out the side of the vehicle,” remarked Senior Sergeant English of the Calliope Highway Patrol, which he so astutely observed “get hot. If someone brushes past that’s a risk to people as well.” Someone needs to tell him if you break one of the taillights, then touch the wires to your tongue you can get shocked. Cars are so very dangerous, why does the Australian government allow its citizens to own such death machines?
Finally, the Fold Falcon had a rotating blue light installed, copying the police vehicle Mel Gibson drives in Mad Max. That’s not a great idea to have in your car since turning it on could give the impression you’re a cop. We can kind of see why the driver was cited for that one. But the other items deemed “defective” are just ridiculous.
In the article, Senior Sergeant English also explains how four-wheel-drive trucks are the most common offenders when it comes to illegal modifications. “They raise them and put big tyres on them. But they raise them too high, which affects the stability, and they put wide, chunky tires on that protrude outside the body of the vehicle, which isn’t allowed either.” He then counsels people to let a professional do all the work on your truck so it isn’t in violation of the many, every multiplying laws.
How car enthusiasts in Australia endure this level of stupidity is beyond us. For those who haven’t bought into all these supposed safety measures, we congratulate you. Unfortunately, the cult of safety will probably require even more sacrifices from you in the near future.
Source: ABC News
