Originally Posted by
V-Jet
In -some- defence of Aust ATC, they are actually existing inside the bizarre and 'super safe' world of Australia. If you live outside our wonderful country, be aware we have no direct neighbours, you are a mass murderer if you drive at 61KM/h (not miles) in a 60 zone, aren't allowed to drink at night, can't smoke in public places, must swim between flags, aren't allowed to have a swimming pool without military spec gates between a dwelling and the pool and amongst MANY other issues, you certainly aren't allowed to builde a home near a tree (lest there be wind, leaves or fire).
If you exist in that environment, then simple practicalities of 'someone's having a heart attack' really strike at the heart of your very existence. Heresy such as that (in extreme circumstances admittedly) might lead to someone being allowed to cross the road without assistance or maybe have an extra sharp corner on their desk without a yellow sticker!
I find Australia obscenely left leaning and sooner or later will become a victim of it's own success in championing a safety industry hell bent on saving the last person on the planet from so much as a vicious paper cut.
If you think the pilots and ATC from the country are painful to deal with - ask yourself in light of my comments above why that may be the case.
I personally believe it's because Australia is just way too far away from any other country to realise how far away they are. Economically, it is going to hurt - sooner or later the truth will be brought home. In the mean time, I feel like I live in a bizarre freedom-less jail like environment where breathing suddenly may break some rule that will land me in a local lock up at Maj's pleasure.
Ohh please
. I’ve lived overseas and I can tell you that I’d much rather be here than there. At least here my children can breath the air without fear of contracting respiratory problems. They can walk on the footpaths without the fear of being run over by a motorbike because they want to get around the traffic, and they can eat the food without having to worry about whether or not they’ll get food poisoning today.
Big picture people, big picture. If you want to go to the lawless, corrupt, dirty, backwards society that all our apparently inconvenient rules protect you from, I can send you the details.
In the meantime I’ll continue to be an Austronaut, because it keeps me from running into that hill over there.