Hi Belly,

You ask: "Is personal freedom a reason to over ride common sense ?"

Well, yes, surely up to a point. Should kids be able to play on see-saws and swings and slippery dips, at the risk of getting hurt ? Of course. Is there anything whatsoever that kids enjoy doing which is not, in some way, a bit risky ? Climbing trees ? Jumping off jetties ? Playing on a lawn near where bees might lurk ? Cracking their skulls on skateboard ramps ? You can kill someone with a sharp pencil, you know.

Public authorities want to reduce risk, mainly the risk to themselves of having to either pay exhorbitant insurance fees or compensate people (parents) whose kids might get hurt. So why not just put a sign up, saying "This equipment [or whatever] poses some danger to small children. Parents are advised that users use this equipment [ ] at their own risk."

When I was a kid in Bankstown, we used to chase slow-moving lorries and hang off the backs. Our knees were always skinned and some of us lost teeth. State school kids and Catholic kids used to pelt each other with rocks. Not much common sense there but great fun !

I guess it's called 'life'. Maybe people should grow a pair.

Joe

Safety signage are there as a guide, it doesn't stop litigation. The only way is for whatever is causing the concern, not to be there. People will not take fault for anything, society has bought it on it self.

Loudmouth Joe, I agree every word.
It is not my intention to reward the silly or to put silly laws in place.
I have seen those words nanny state, rolled up and hurled as a weapon against drug control Grog campaigns late night closing ext.
A part of our way of life is Socialism.
We need to see the part of Education/Health/Public transport that is free or subsidized is so.
Infrastructure and such is in part paid for, like EVERY *FREE*
thing via tax by some one, I respect but disagree with RObert.
And fact is I have started several threads here in my history asking for welfare reform.
I am a true trade unionist,and believe in change and constant improvement, while proud of the past it is the future the movement must concentrate on.
Social welfare government enterprises are bleeding cash.
We can/must do better, excellence in management is the only future.
Not bleeding public jobs top sometimes criminals for more money.
But RObert that is another thread.
A community must have rules or we will have no community .

society has bought it on it self.
579,
hold your horses right there. Not society as a whole. It's the academic left-winged section only in society that's the cause of the whole stupidity.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/nannys-wisdom-has-paid-off-before-20111028-1mo27.html
The link is informative.
And any one who is interested in the issue will be informed by reading it.
I truly think its description of poker machines UNDERSTATES the impacts on some.
Not all not every venue,but at the lower end, trashy pubs, small clubs,little concern is shown for the victims.
I wish I knew how to find the figures of those who killed them selves, as a result of these evil machines.
And too how many victims would never Gamble on other things, are addicted to the lights bells and wheels.
[long trip to market has me up early, ]

Finally, after some 40 years the social engineering failures are really starting to bite us in the butt. We're waffling on about a lack of self-discipline yet when we apply discipline we get dragged over the hot coals. Those academic "experts" who forced their idiotic ideas onto us over the years are keeping stumm now that it's all falling into a heap. Sad thing is mums & dads will still be persecuted for slapping little Jonny when he doesn't get what he wants. And so the wheel of decline goes on turning & the academic do-gooders are greasing the bearings & neglecting the brakes.