So you need a license to drag dead donkeys?

© good to know

Big Deal. I grew up on a big farm... this was a normal day with the exception of the dead donkey. Anytime I was away from the farmhouse, I was armed. Where I lived, you could walk into a bear or a cougar or a deadly snake. I prefer to be able to defend myself, even at 13.

/got my first shotgun when I was 12... got my first rifle when I was 14.

//but see, I was taught all about them, including the dangers... which is why I don't play with guns like those who have no clue how to use them responsibly.

/// which if you go by some of the stories on Fark, includes a huge chunk of the population...

A toyota haulin ass !!!
Priceless

payattention: Big Deal. I grew up on a big farm...

Indeed. But there are no bears or cougars in the NT and you're unlikely to meet a croc in that area near Alice Springs. I only saw one snake the whole year I was in Oz, and that was on Rottnest Island. Generally speaking the locals don't feel the need to go around armed the whole time - if they see a snake they keep away from it.

So even if he was worried about snakes (unlikely) only the shotgun makes sense. There's nothing around there that would necessitate carrying two rifles.

/except for the camels
//and the obligatory dropbears

payattention: Big Deal. I grew up on a big farm... this was a normal day with the exception of the dead donkey. Anytime I was away from the farmhouse, I was armed. Where I lived, you could walk into a bear or a cougar or a deadly snake. I prefer to be able to defend myself, even at 13.

/got my first shotgun when I was 12... got my first rifle when I was 14.

//but see, I was taught all about them, including the dangers... which is why I don't play with guns like those who have no clue how to use them responsibly.

/// which if you go by some of the stories on Fark, includes a huge chunk of the population...

the deadly bears and cougars that roam australia do so only in your head.

THE KID GOT HIMSELF SOME ASS

This is a cute story. Kids do cute things.

Dadoody: THE KID GOT HIMSELF SOME ASS

From the sound of it, he double-tapped that ass!

+1 on .243

Dead Donkey?

"Poor little guy, probably kept up with you for a mile or so."

What the hell is a ute?

The kid couldn't help himself. He had contracted that ancient Chinese disease: dragon ass.

Wow, reminds me of prom night.

Since when are 2 guns considered an arsenal? Since when is a .22 considered a high powered rifle? Media loves demonizing firearms.

This is England's little brother, 3 guns make an arsenal, 100 rounds of .22 is a stockpile, a cross look is assault and battery. Their politicians are trying hard to be more outraged by everything than the other guy and the press is just as farked up and biased as ours. Too bad for the kid, they have screwed him for life.

ex-nuke: Their politicians are trying hard to be more outraged by everything than the other guy and the press is just as farked up and biased as ours. Too bad for the kid, they have screwed him for life.

Because there's nothing wrong with a 13 year old boy driving a dangerously damaged vehicle with loose firearms and ammunition lying around inside and pulling the carcase of a donkey behind him?

Something about this situation tells me that the kid had not been raised in a responsible manner, so I doubt he'd been taught proper firearm safety, given that his dad was happy to let him drive a wreck along a public road unsupervised at the age of 13.

And no, 3 guns isn't exactly an arsenal but that's a tabloid newspaper for you. It's certainly far more than most Australians, Europeans or even most Americans would have in a car, it's more than any Australian would need even in the outback and it's not something that a 13 year old should be driving around with. And why is this kid screwed for life? The article says "the boy will be considered for youth diversion for traffic and firearms offences" - we don't even know if he's going to be charged with anything yet, but I'm guessing they should at least look into it given that he was driving an illegal vehicle illegally with several guns illegally inside. Chances are that they'll let him off though, given that it was in the middle of nowhere and it's likely his dad told him to do it.

sixfoot: Since when is a .22 considered a high powered rifle?

I'm guessing it's the .243 that was considered high-powered, given that THE FARKING ARTICLE refers to "a high powered .243 rifle".

Honestly, according to Fark Australia is crawling with animals that are out to kill you, but unlike the US Aussies don't feel the need to carry pistols loaded with snakeshot with them everywhere, they just get on with life and look where they're bloody going.

There's a really desperate need to get all knee-jerky about anything gun-related on here, isn't there?

Pert - Indeed. But there are no bears or cougars in the NT and you're unlikely to meet a croc in that area near Alice Springs. I only saw one snake the whole year I was in Oz, and that was on Rottnest Island.

I am not from Oz. However, if you only saw one snake the whole year you were there, you must have mainly stayed in the hotel/tourist areas.

Playinodds - the deadly bears and cougars that roam australia do so only in your head.

As I stated above, I am not from there. However, just because they do not have bears and cougars, does not mean they have no predatory animals that are capable of injuring or even killing a 13 yo boy. To assume that every piece of land on the planet is like an suburban park is dangerous. Where I am from you can still wander into the wood and never been seen again. So, should I refrain from carrying a GPS or compass? After all, that is not a problem in Dallas or New York, so how can it be a problem anywhere else, right?

What is a "clapped-out ute?" That looks like a Hilux to me. Why is the Australian dialect of English so incomprehensible?

/drives a Hilux

Pert - Honestly, according to Fark Australia is crawling with animals that are out to kill you, but unlike the US Aussies don't feel the need to carry pistols loaded with snakeshot with them everywhere, they just get on with life and look where they're bloody going.

Seems someone was born in a very urban area. Every wilderness area has dangerous animals. And, you can't reason with a charging bear. Go live in the wilderness for a while and then get back to me. And, by wilderness, I don't mean within 20 minutes of anything with a population over 400, or any place that has decent paved roads. I mean 'wilderness'.

There's a really desperate need to get all knee-jerky about anything gun-related on here, isn't there?

Not at all. I have never kneed anyone. I just shoot them.

//that was a joke, but I know I will be vilified for it anyway.

100 rounds of ammo


OMG, 100 rounds! *faints*

:-|

I think there was a certain amount of exaggeration in that article: Clapped out Toyota? Come on, it's a fairly new vehicle by my standards and those of many people in the world. And they were being silly about the guns too.
But the boy shouldn't be allowed to take so many guns with him for no apparent reason and shouldn't be allowed to drive on the public highway.
And should not be allowed to drag dead animals around; if he's not strong enough to get it into the back of the pickup then he has to leave it until he can come back with some one who can help.

In the end 13 year old boys have very hazy notions of acceptable behaviour and need supervision his parents were clearly failing to do that.

ethics-gradient: I think there was a certain amount of exaggeration in that article: Clapped out Toyota? Come on, it's a fairly new vehicle by my standards and those of many people in the world. And they were being silly about the guns too.
But the boy shouldn't be allowed to take so many guns with him for no apparent reason and shouldn't be allowed to drive on the public highway.
And should not be allowed to drag dead animals around; if he's not strong enough to get it into the back of the pickup then he has to leave it until he can come back with some one who can help.

In the end 13 year old boys have very hazy notions of acceptable behaviour and need supervision his parents were clearly failing to do that.

TFA did say the front end had severe damage and was held together with a tie down strap and the front windshield was damaged. That truck definitely qualifies as a POS.

I am amused that they gave him a breathalyzer. Also LOL on the "noticeably deceased donkey" bit.

Seems like a fairly new truck that had been damaged, (probably because it had been driven by a 13 year old), wouldn't say that makes it a POS necessarily.

And yeah, points to the paper for the "noticeably deceased donkey", that translates as "absolutely farking stinks" I think.

office_despot: What is a "clapped-out ute?" That looks like a Hilux to me. Why is the Australian dialect of English so incomprehensible?

/drives a Hilux

What year and mileage on your Hilux? Mine is 88 with 416,000 or so miles on it.

My question is why was he dragging a donkey?
(Other than it is easier than pushing one)

lwpengy: My question is why was he dragging a donkey?
(Other than it is easier than pushing one)

Because he could?

I hate incomplete stories.
Did he shoot the donkey or hit it- which wiped out the front of the truck?
If he shot it, Why? (That mule looked to be suffering before it died.)
Was he dragging it because he couldn't figure a way to get it in the bed of the truck?
(So the Toyota was not haulin' ass, but rather- dragging ass.)

I need answers! This is going to bug me for weeks.

ethics-gradient: I think there was a certain amount of exaggeration in that article: Clapped out Toyota? Come on, it's a fairly new vehicle by my standards and those of many people in the world. And they were being silly about the guns too.

But the boy shouldn't be allowed to take so many guns with him for no apparent reason and shouldn't be allowed to drive on the public highway.

Exhibit A: a dead donkey, and a truck which would not suffer big loss in value if it received more damage.

And should not be allowed to drag dead animals around; if he's not strong enough to get it into the back of the pickup then he has to leave it until he can come back with some one who can help.

He probably avoided a more serious charge of killing an animal and leaving the area, which would have been interpreted as reckless poaching.

In the end 13 year old boys have very hazy notions of acceptable behaviour and need supervision his parents were clearly failing to do that.

I know the laws have to generalize, because you can't pre-judge every possible legal issue, but I hope the case is the boy and father were being responsible, and the legal system can see past the statutes and OMGs of people like the one writing the article.

... is no way to go through life, son.

payattention: I am not from Oz. However, if you only saw one snake the whole year you were there, you must have mainly stayed in the hotel/tourist areas.

Yes, you're right. No way at all that I spent several months driving a 4x4 round the country sleeping in the back, visiting the wife's cousin's farm near Broome or another cattle farm in Victoria, spending several nights in Kakadu, driving into Purnululu, spending new year's eve in Alice Springs, etc. etc. No way. No way my brother and two cousins live there or that many of my wife's family live and farm there.

I actually worked in a quarry near Perth (desk job, not actual mining) where they warned me that the grass around our portacabin was crawling with venomous snakes......oddly enough, nobody carried a gun, they just made sure they stomped loudly if they had to walk through there. There was a hole in the wall near my desk where a spider the size of my fist would come and watch me working, but they told me it wasn't poisonous so I did my best to ignore it.

Actually, to be frank I did blunder there - I did see three other snakes, but they were either behind glass or draped around the neck of one of the locals in Bojangles bar, Alice Springs.

payattention: As I stated above, I am not from there. However, just because they do not have bears and cougars, does not mean they have no predatory animals that are capable of injuring or even killing a 13 yo boy.

I don't think I'm the one making assumptions. I'm not assuming anything. There are no predatory land animals in Australia capable of killing a 13 yo boy except for saltwater crocs, and the chances of coming across one of them at random while you're out driving near Alice Springs is fairly slim. Dingos? Very, very slim chance of meeting them or being attacked unless you're somewhere like Fraser Island where they've got a bit too used to human company.

Yes, there are some spiders that will kill you if you get too close but please tell me you don't advise using a gun to defend yourself there? There are snakes, but the Aussies I know would laugh at you if you walked round with a gun to defend yourself from them. Yes, in rural areas someone might keep a shotgun in the house and use it to kill a particularly deadly and aggressive snake, but mostly they let them go on their way.

OK, in the "Back of Bourke" or even most rural communities it is common and even necessary for children to learn to drive before it's legal, just to get around the property. It would be fairly common for them to drive on the minor roads in the area where this happened too, and generally accepted. However, "normal" Aussies don't drive around with 3 weapons loose in the car in areas where the police are sitting around doing speedtraps. It might even be normal for a 13 yo to be taught how to use the farm guns and go out hunting rabbits and 'roos by himself, but not to drive off with 2 rifles and a shotgun towing the corpse of a donkey. That's weird even for Australia.

I don't think I'm the one making assumptions. I'm not assuming anything. There are no predatory land animals in Australia capable of killing a 13 yo boy except for saltwater crocs, and the chances of coming across one of them ...

Obviously you never watched Steve Irwin's 10 Deadliest Snakes in the World. Take note how many of them are native to Australia.

Pert : It might even be normal for a 13 yo to be taught how to use the farm guns and go out hunting rabbits and 'roos by himself, but not to drive off with 2 rifles and a shotgun towing the corpse of a donkey. That's weird even for Australia.

What I reckoned too, without even having visited Oz. Somebody needs parenting lessons.... and maybe their gun licence taking away too.

/Not a gun grabber.
//Had my first real gun at 13.
///It was a .410.
////Still can't get those sodding fired cartridge cases out easily.

Hiro-ACiD: Obviously you never watched Steve Irwin's 10 Deadliest Snakes in the World. Take note how many of them are native to Australia.

No, I just don't consider Australian snakes to be predatory towards humans, none of them being capable of eating them and everything.

Harmful, yes. Predatory, no.

Aside from crocs (and sharks) there are no animals in Australia that prey on humans.

/possibly dingos in extremely rare situations
//would you take a spear gun swimming with you because of the stone fish and blue-ring octopus?

probably a few things to be aware of.

The only illegal thing here was the kid driving on a public road.

I drove farm vehicles at that age, but dad made sure it was only on the farm property.

You don't need a road-legal vehicle for farm duty, as is obviously the case here.

if I had a kid who drove a car through rough terrain with two loaded weapons on the seats, I would kick his arse 'til his nose bled.

I don't care if farmers, bushmen, stockmen, etc use rifles, or carry rifles with them as they travel about isolated terrain, but this kid needs to be taught about gun safety. That's just stupid.

/Australian,
//Grew up in the country, taught to shoot, etc from an early age,
///Grew out of it later.

Can anyone tell me why he was dragging a dead donkey!?!?!?

smadge1: The only illegal thing here was the kid driving on a public road.

No, you're right.

Aside from the underage (and therefore unlicensed) possession of firearms and ammunition, the transportation of unsecured firearms and ammunition,it was just a simple case of underage driving.

Meisaims

Can anyone tell me why he was dragging a dead donkey!?!?!?


Probably because he couldn't lift it.

What do you expect from the place that gave us Hitler?

Pert - Yes, you're right. No way at all that I spent several months driving a 4x4 round the country sleeping in the back, visiting the wife's cousin's farm near Broome or another cattle farm in Victoria, spending several nights in Kakadu, driving into Purnululu, spending new year's eve in Alice Springs, etc. etc. No way. No way my brother and two cousins live there or that many of my wife's family live and farm there.

Interesting. You list five places. Each one, with the exception of Kakadu which is a National Park, is a big city. No worries, I deal with this all the time. People saying 'I grew up in a small town'. When I ask them what the population was, I get numbers in the tens of thousands. And, according to the information I found about those towns you mention, they are size-able. My hometown had 491 people in it back when I was born. (It has blossomed to 932 last time I checked). The closest town that had the 'local' hospital was 25 miles away. That town had 3024 when I was born. The closest place that could even be considered 'urban' was an hour away. and it had something like 24,000 at that time. So, I maintain that you may not truly understand what 'rural' means.

Also, you are correct, I do not advise using a gun on a snake unless you are in a place where it is safe to shoot it, and the snake is attacking you. Kind of like those Tiger Snakes do... you know, the ones from Australia?

But we certainly agree on one thing. That was weird... even for my hometown, and trust me, my hometown is VERY weird.

Meisaims: Can anyone tell me why he was dragging a dead donkey!?!?!?

It sure as hell wasn't going to be dragging him.

As a kid who grew up on properties in Oz I can say my childhood differed from this kid's in 2 ways.
1 - If I shot anything which was too heavy to get on the tray of the ute I'd butcher it there and take home the best cuts
2 - I was never caught on a public road

Really, it was the public road that was the problem and this kid is going to get his father in all sorts of shiat. Everyone knows farm kids use guns, but the law says they need to get their licence first and few do (I still don't, never needed to buy my own and no one checks your licence when you are out in the paddocks).
Shooting the donkey was fine, feral pests and he was probably taking it home for dog food. Driving the car was fine, until he hit the road. Having the 22 loaded with one up the spout on the passenger seat, not a great idea on rough dirt tracks.
But, I really doubt the kid will get into too much trouble from the law. The Alice judges will tell him not to do it again (by which they will mean, get caught) but his father may find he needs a good lawyer to argue why he should keep his gun licence.

For some reason this joke came to mind...

a boy walks into a whorehouse dragging a dead frog.

He walks up to the madam and says "I want a woman."
"Im afraid you are a bit young..." said the madam.
The kid whips out a fat roll of hundreds and lays them on her counter.
"I think we can make an exception this time. First door on your right young man."
The boy follows her instructions and comes back a minute later.
"Im afraid I forgot to mention, I need one with a scorching case of herpes." said the boy.
the madam replies "Thats a rather odd request, but OK. 3rd floor, room 314."
The boy disappears up the stairs.
30 minutes later as he is walking out, the madam stops him. "Ive been sitting here thinking. Why on earth would you want a hooker with herpes?"
The boy looks at her and replies:
"I'm gonna go home and the babysitter is gonna be there. We're gonna do it and she'll catch it. Then about 6 dad comes home. He's gonna drive her home. On the way they'll do it, and then he's gonna get it. He'll go to bed with mommy, and she'll get it. at 5am dad gets up and leaves for work. The milkman comes by at 6 and he's the bastard that killed my frog!"

payattention: Each one, with the exception of Kakadu which is a National Park, is a big city.

Victoria is a state, not a city.

Broome has a year round population of about 14,500 people. Big by Western Australian standards but not exactly a "big city". It is also about 200 miles from the next town and incredibly isolated. I also said that the farm was "near Broome", Broome being the only town anywhere near the farm (over half a day's drive). I mean, look at that metropolis!


View Larger Map

Alice Springs is indeed a city, a mighty city of 27,500 people in the MIDDLE OF FARKING NOWHERE.

This is Purnululu:



Watch you don't get knocked down by a taxi!

For the record, I never said I grew up anywhere rural. I'm actually from a relatively small town in the UK. What I do have though, is experience of living in Australia and lots of time with Australians who actually know what they're talking about. This also includes 6 months driving round the entire country staying in isolated and rural campsites, 3 months working in an apparently snake-infested quarry, many hours of walking in the bush in national parks and forests. I saw many things (huge lizards, small lizards, koalas, camels, eagles, etc.) but only one snake in the wild.

Apparently your knowledge of Australian wildlife and defending yourself against it is superior to mine (even though you haven't been there and clearly have no idea what it's like) because you grew up in a small town in America.

My point: Australians don't carry guns to defend themselves from snakes or other animals, I know, I have lived there.
Your point: Well I lived in a small town on the other side of the world and you're wrong because..... errrrrrr.....

All you've shown is your ability to talk out of your arse.

payattention: I do not advise using a gun on a snake unless you are in a place where it is safe to shoot it, and the snake is attacking you. Kind of like those Tiger Snakes do... you know, the ones from Australia?

And incidentally, given the large number of different venomous snakes that make their home in central Australia it takes a special kind of skill to pick one that only lives in the coastal regions to the south of the country, i.e. approximately 1,000 miles away from where the kid was carrying his guns.