Wildlife are not dumb

[jx2mad]

We have two orange trees growing, one a valencia and the other as navel. The sulpher crested cockatoos only touch the valencia. They pick the oranges open to get the seeds BUT they never touch the navel tree because they do not have seeds.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

and birds are great at deciding which plums are ripe,,

all the ones on the ground...

[S3ute]

Hello from Brisbane.

A similar thought occurred to me watching baboons climbing electric fences around orchards in southern Africa - you would see them carefully standing on every second wire.

Elephants, on the other hand, just started running from a distance....

Cheers,

Neil

[Mick_Marsh]

You wouldn't say that about the roos that keep jumping in front of my car.
Hit another one last Thursday week.

[S3ute]

You wouldn't say that about the roos that keep jumping in front of my car.
Hit another one last Thursday week.

Point taken.

Sheep also get excused.....

Cheers,

Neil

[Tins]

You wouldn't say that about the roos that keep jumping in front of my car.
Hit another one last Thursday week.


Not to mention wombats.

[jx2mad]

Wombats...besser blocks on legs

[Tins]

Wombats...besser blocks on legs

Besser blocks with the holes filled in with concrete, doncha mean?

[jx2mad]

front suspension modifiers

[scarry]

Sheep also get excused.....

Cheers,

Neil

What about a young lady pushing a pram,and with another small child in tow,stepping out onto a crossing,without looking up to see if there is any traffic coming.

Not the smartest wildlife.

[trout1105]

Wildlife and stock you see on the road are really Not that smart but are mostly predictable.
With my farming background I can instinctively sense how stock will react when I come across them on the road and drive accordingly, Unfortunately Many of my Urban dwelling counterparts are quite clueless when approaching stock on the roads and tend to have unfortunate ( for both the vehicle and the animal) encounters with them.

[Mick_Marsh]

Not to mention wombats.
I often encounter koalas. They are quite slow. I've never hit a koala. I stopped for one, once. Standstill. He just sat down in front of me. He wasn't moving.
Roos on the other hand, the ones out front in your lights are not a problem. It's the ones that dart in from the bushes on the side that are a problem.

[NavyDiver]

What about a young lady pushing a pram,and with another small child in tow,stepping out onto a crossing,without looking up to see if there is any traffic coming.

Not the smartest wildlife.

"without looking up to see if there is any traffic coming" Not looking to see if people driving are follow road rules and 'stop and give way to anyone approaching the crossing' you mean?

Back on topic- Love watching deer and roos finding paths around high fences to get at nice pasture. Saw some walking to the driveway of a farm and right past the farm house for some lucerne. They could have jumped the slightly high fences but choose the easy way in over a gate.

[Mick_Marsh]

What about a young lady pushing a pram,and with another small child in tow,stepping out onto a crossing,without looking up to see if there is any traffic coming.

Not the smartest wildlife.
I had a woman run out from between two parked cars the other day. With her child in tow. Great example for the child. She looked at me and smiled as I braked heavily to avoid bouncing her child off the bumper of my Merc.

[Tins]

"without looking up to see if there is any traffic coming" Not looking to see if people driving are follow road rules and 'stop and give way to anyone approaching the crossing' you mean?

Irrelevent. Anyone who puts their trust in 'rules' for their safety is an idiot. Crossing safety has become severely compromised by councils who build their crossings out level with the parked cars so that the person has to actually be on the crossing to be visible. Prams and pushers are low, and usually a metre in front of the person pushing them. I think people pushing their infants out on to the road trusting the 'rules' are certifiable. What happened to the days where the approach to a crossing was kept clear of parked cars so that the pedestrian and the driver could see each other? I won't cross at a crossing unless I've made eye contact, or, if it's dark, until the car has come to a complete stop.

[NavyDiver]

Irrelevent. Anyone who puts their trust in 'rules' for their safety is an idiot. Crossing safety has become severely compromised by councils who build their crossings out level with the parked cars so that the person has to actually be on the crossing to be visible. Prams and pushers are low, and usually a metre in front of the person pushing them. I think people pushing their infants out on to the road trusting the 'rules' are certifiable. What happened to the days where the approach to a crossing was kept clear of parked cars so that the pedestrian and the driver could see each other? I won't cross at a crossing unless I've made eye contact, or, if it's dark, until the car has come to a complete stop.

any one who murders someone by not obeying basic road rules or basic consideration for other peoples life is a what then in you opinion?

I must be an idiot perhaps but I did look before putting myself in front of a car in QLD on the weekend while out running. The driver was trying to run past two elderly people walking across on a green light for pedestrians. I am a fastish runner and jumped in front of the car causing the driver to brake hard. ( I did have space to get back) Then asking the elderly couple to keep walking off the road. They would have been stranded in the middle off a road due to the rude selfish and now very shocked driver. [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin]

I stopped for lunch a few hundred metres away and several people spoke to me about the extraordinarily self entitled driver. At least one cars behind has reported the Driver to the police along with their dash cam [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][biggrin]. I didn't report it but a nice police man did ring me asking if I could give a statement if needed.
I did not kick, yell or beat up the person who was clearly a VIP able to kill or disrupt people following road rules. You may feel I am a "idiot" and perhaps the ignore list might need updating for you or I. Very happy the QLD police received dash cam video and statements from drivers and the couple.
I laughed quite a bit in fact when I saw your view/opinion. I know what that driver is call- BUSTED[biggrin]

[NavyDiver]

I had a woman run out from between two parked cars the other day. With her child in tow. Great example for the child. She looked at me and smiled as I braked heavily to avoid bouncing her child off the bumper of my Merc.
I agree Mick. Pedestrians need to look especially if not on a crossing. Glad your as capable, sharp and considerate as you are sir

[Tins]

any one who murders someone by not obeying basic road rules or basic consideration for other peoples life is a what then in you opinion?

I must be an idiot perhaps but I did look before putting myself in front of a car in QLD on the weekend while out running. The driver was trying to run past two elderly people walking across on a green light for pedestrians. I am a fastish runner and jumped in front of the car causing the driver to brake hard. ( I did have space to get back) Then asking the elderly couple to keep walking off the road. They would have been stranded in the middle off a road due to the rude selfish and now very shocked driver. [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin]

I stopped for lunch a few hundred metres away and several people spoke to me about the extraordinarily self entitled driver. At least one cars behind has reported the Driver to the police along with their dash cam [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][biggrin]. I didn't report it but a nice police man did ring me asking if I could give a statement if needed.
I did not kick, yell or beat up the person who was clearly a VIP able to kill or disrupt people following road rules. You may feel I am a "idiot" and perhaps the ignore list might need updating for you or I. Very happy the QLD police received dash cam video and statements from drivers and the couple.
I laughed quite a bit in fact when I saw your view/opinion. I know what that driver is call- BUSTED[biggrin]

Don't care, ND. The car was at fault. Doesn't take away the fact that simply expecting the rules will protect you is stupid. Which is what I said, and what I still say. Being in the right won't help you if you are dead.

[Hall]

Emus need to be also excused. Not the smartest bird. Had once a couple running in front of me on a track. Had to eventually stop or they would have most likely collapsed. When I stopped they then veered of into the bush. There was a doco about a wombat fence in Tassie. They had enough juice going through that fence to fry Elephant. You could see the electricity passing over the fur of the wombat. Did not even slow it down. Got it`s nose under the wire and through it went. Not real smart but 10/10 for determination.
Cheers Hall

[NavyDiver]

Don't care, ND. The car was at fault. Doesn't take away the fact that simply expecting the rules will protect you is stupid. Which is what I said, and what I still say. Being in the right won't help you if you are dead.

How true. I know how I feel about people who died while with me. I was not responsible. If I was responsible and negligent I'm not sure if I could live with myself. Each to their own of course. I always note " You don't see things as they are- you see things as you are" Anais Nin I think nailed it a long time ago.

PS I assume every driver might be the ONE when running, riding walking or driving

[scarry]

I agree Mick. Pedestrians need to look especially if not on a crossing. Glad your as capable, sharp and considerate as you are sir

So if on a crossing they don't need to look?

I thought 'normal' procedure,as taught at school,and by my parents,is,before walking onto the crossing,stop,look left,look right,then look left again,and proceed to cross the road if safe to do so.

If you don't want to do this,then good luck.

You might not see the vehicle that is travelling at 80k with a drunk at the wheel,but you may certainly feel it.

Sure the driver may end up in jail,but thats after the incident.

I would rather stop and look,surely that is common sense?

If not then maybe someone can explain.

Same for bike riders,they are usually at the front of the traffic que,waiting for the lights to go green.Once green,they are first off.

An experienced rider will ALWAYS look left and right,before going,just in case a vehicle is going to jump the red light.

Similar situation,

Its just common sense.

Always expect the unexpected

[BMKal]

Emus need to be also excused. Not the smartest bird. Had once a couple running in front of me on a track. Had to eventually stop or they would have most likely collapsed. When I stopped they then veered of into the bush. There was a doco about a wombat fence in Tassie. They had enough juice going through that fence to fry Elephant. You could see the electricity passing over the fur of the wombat. Did not even slow it down. Got it`s nose under the wire and through it went. Not real smart but 10/10 for determination.
Cheers Hall

Have to agree - they are not the sharpest tool in the shed.

I have had them run alongside my vehicle on more than one occasion, only to change direction without warning and run straight in front of me. The road between Leonora and Laverton in WA is well known for emus doing this.

While not road related - a few years back I was running a gold heap leach operation south of Kalgoorlie. We had a couple of kilometers of overland conveyors between the crushing plant and the "heap". The number of times we had the conveyors "trip" in the early days due to "wildlife" was more than I remember. The roos would jump over the conveyors, and often hit the "trip" wire on either side of the conveyor, causing the belt to stop. The emus on the other hand, would try to go under the conveyor. We always knew if an emu had caused the trip when we drove out to re-set the safety switch - there would be feathers for a couple of hundred metres under the belt and limbs wrapped around the return rollers. :no2:

[XDrive]

Wildlife are not dumb but a lot of people might be classified that way.
Driving,walking or riding on the road as if the law is on your side and will protect you is the dumbest thing a person can do.
whilst teaching people safer driving techniques, one if the first things that I teach people when approaching a set of traffic lights when the green light is in your favour, is to take your foot off the accelerator and hover it over the brake pedal, when you are sure that any vehicles approaching from the side have began to slow or have stopped, then you can proceed through the intersection.
Thinking that because you have the green light and therfore the law will protect you is certainly not driving to survive the law may very well be on your side but may not prevent an incident from happening. As we know many people do not stop at red lights or stop signs.
Thinking that you may be right wil stil not protect you from a three ton four wheel drive that cannot stop in five metres even if he is only doing 40km/h, reaction time alone wil see that theory dismissed quickly.
if you wish to interact with other road users, either as another vehicle driver, rider or pedestrian, you should learn to look out for your own safety first and foremost. Relying on other people for your safety is not very clever and will end in tears very quickly.
Regards
XDrive

[Tins]

How true. I know how I feel about people who died while with me. I was not responsible. If I was responsible and negligent I'm not sure if I could live with myself. Each to their own of course. I always note " You don't see things as they are- you see things as you are" Anais Nin I think nailed it a long time ago.

PS I assume every driver might be the ONE when running, riding walking or driving

I posted recently about hitting a cyclist. In no way was this my fault. When I saw this chap's head bend the windscreen pillar on the XF I was driving, and later saw him convulsing on the ground, my life changed. I was shattered. I was inconsolable. I had seen many roadside tragedies, but had never been in one.

Since then, I have been touched a number of times. A woman I adored, not as a girlfriend ( she was my very good mate's girlfriend ) was t-boned by some lowlife who was sniffing lighter gas when driving. She was stationary at lights. This bloke crossed over into the oncoming lanes, mounted the island, crossed two lanes of cars and hit her VW at about 70. She never regained consciousness, and died four days later. It took a little longer for my mate. He took his own life after three months.

I held a kid while he died, after he was thrown from a car that was rear ended as it turned left. He was unsecured. He was seven, I found out later. His neck was broken.

I watched a kid who I had just dropped off on a school bus run decide not to wait, but to run in front of my bus, get thrown twenty metres by a minibus, and land and lie motionless, with blood coming from his eyes and nose. He lived, minus his spleen. He won't walk though.

I lost another mate. He was a cabbie. He was driving an attractive woman home from the King Street nightclubs in the wee hours. She yelled at him to stop as she wanted to vomit. Any cabbie will comply with that one. She got out of the car and vaulted the fence. She had called for him to stop on the Westgate bridge. He took his life as well, later.

Back to the point. Everyone has a story. Everyone thinks that they are a great driver (me, I'm included ), when in fact almost all of us are nothing of the sort. We are hopeless. But it gets worse. Traffic, like climate, is a chaotic system. I mean that in the mathematical sense. It means that it is inherently totally unpredictable. This is why draconian road laws have made absolutely no difference, in the same way that climate theory has had absolutely no influence on the actual climate.

Don't get me wrong. I believe we need road laws, in the same way I believe we need the EPA. Rafferty's rules don't work either.

But. But. Expecting the system to protect you is the utmost folly. Sniffing lighter gas is illegal in any sense, let alone whilst driving. That bloke is walking free, unless his habits caught up with him. System didn't protect Kath.

Having an unrestrained passenger is illegal. I don't know what happened to the grandfather who was taking the kids for fish and chips. I doubt they could do anything to him worse than he was doing to himself.

Overtaking a School Bus, or anything else for that matter, on double lines is illegal in Victoria. When the smartarse in his TOG car turned up, what do you think he did? Three guesses.

NO? I'll tell you. I had moved my bus to prevent anyone else from hitting the kid who was on the road. The brilliant example of Victoria's finest chose, amongst all of what was going on, with traffic control desperately needed, to breathalyse me.

People who have paid attention to what I've said on this forum will know that I am in fervent favour of "sensible" road safety reforms.

I am also aware that I am not unique in this. I put all this up ( believe me, there is more ) simply to show that I am not simply another keyboard opinion. I welcome people's input and will happily debate, but I'll argue against stupidity. Walking when you see a little green man, without looking first, is in my view, stupid. Charles Darwin would love how we live. Lot's more books.

When it comes down to it, the only person with responsibility for you life is you.


Rant. Went far away from where I started. But, I stand by every word, so here it is.

[trout1105]

I can emphasise with what you are saying Mate But I will add to your last line of your post " When it comes down to it, the only person with responsibility for your life is you." by saying "When it comes down to it, the only person with responsibility for yours and other road users lives is you."
Too many people are willing to take a risk with their own lives and don't consider the consequences of their actions on other peoples lives [thumbsupbig]

[NavyDiver]

Do the crime pay the fine? The elderly couple I mentioned looked and started safely before being terrorised by an very aggressive driver (who is possibly a very nice person at times). No idea why she was driving like she was. late for her kids? Late for a hair appointment? No mater, Needless agression is simply that.

It is interesting driving walking overseas. In many locations drivers in total chaos are so polite it is almost unbelievable.

I agreed Looking is good/ great and more than fine. Some people with poor vision cross roads. A deaf person in today's paper mentioned a waving fist from a bike rider on a foot path here in Vic who clearly feels entitled to break laws just like the person the nice QLD police are chatting with.


I am very lucky to have great agility, very good peripheral vision and very good hearing. Tens of thousands of people are not as lucky as me and are sitting ducks for people whom treat others with contempt.
I hope none of your freinds or relatives fit the not so lucky "target or sitting duck" for agresive drivers or riders.

Some times thinking of others less able or less fortunate might be worth while. Your rant suggest your blood pressure is up. I hope you can calm it down a lot and enjoy the slow lane like I do most of the time.

In the interest of you B.P. I am off the wild animals are not dumb topic. Good bye and thanks for all the fish

[Tins]

Do the crime pay the fine? The elderly couple I mentioned looked and started safely before being terrorised by an very aggressive driver (who is possibly a very nice person at times). No idea why she was driving like she was. late for her kids? Late for a hair appointment? No mater, Needless agression is simply that.

It is interesting driving walking overseas. In many locations drivers in total chaos are so polite it is almost unbelievable.

I agreed Looking is good/ great and more than fine. Some people with poor vision cross roads. A deaf person in today's paper mentioned a waving fist from a bike rider on a foot path here in Vic who clearly feels entitled to break laws just like the person the nice QLD police are chatting with.


I am very lucky to have great agility, very good peripheral vision and very good hearing. Tens of thousands of people are not as lucky as me and are sitting ducks for people whom treat others with contempt.
I hope none of your freinds or relatives fit the not so lucky "target or sitting duck" for agresive drivers or riders.

Some times thinking of others less able or less fortunate might be worth while. Your rant suggest your blood pressure is up. I hope you can calm it down a lot and enjoy the slow lane like I do most of the time.

In the interest of you B.P. I am of the wild animals are not dumb topic. Good bye and thanks for all the fish

Laugh... Don't want to detract from a delightful post, but the accurate quote is "So long, and thanks for all the fish". Douglas Adams was wiser than us all, including, much as I hate to say it, Terry Pratchett.

[jx2mad]

It seems to me that most posters on this thread equate most humans with animals that are dumb. Thanks for the digression [bigrolf]

[trout1105]

Animals are nowhere near as dumb as some humans [bigwhistle]

[donh54]

Don't care, ND. The car was at fault. Doesn't take away the fact that simply expecting the rules will protect you is stupid. Which is what I said, and what I still say. Being in the right won't help you if you are dead.
When I got my first pushbike, Dad told me to ride it as if everyone else on the road was trying to kill me, because as sure as anything, one day someone would try.
I always hope people will do the right thing, but plan for them not to.