There have been several incidents recently at our local schools involving young children being approached by both male and female adults in an inappropriate way. I am really pleased to report that on each occasion the schools have acted swiftly, and in the best interests of the child, the parents and the entire school community.
I cannot comprehend the type of person who perpetrates this kind of act. I also can never fathom why they seem to happen in clusters. It makes no sense when it is clearly not the act of a single person.
The age of innocence is long gone. While that is sad, it is a fact and we have to school our children to be wary of the stranger danger more than ever before. I find this very upsetting. I would love my son to be able to kick a footy in the street like I used to do. I would love for him to be able to go on his own to the milk bar on the corner like I used to as a kid. Walking to and from school now is an issue, as one of these incidents took place with a lone walker.
I am hearing about increased security at schools, and I understand and appreciate that it is totally necessary, and as a parent, I want it. This is not just a western suburbs thing, it is happening across the city. How sad that this is where we are as a society. What do you think?
Parking is a double-edged sword in our city. The Plaza at the moment is a nightmare due to redevelopment and there are ongoing problems at all our train stations, plus the CBD has always been a giant headache. The ripple effect these all have is getting worse and leading to some very aggressive attitudes in car parks.
Finding a park is hard enough, but some of the driving displayed to claim the spot has to be seen to be believed. I have been sent several photos recently of cars parked at angles that bear no resemblance to the clearly marked lines. When you consider that some modern cars actually park themselves, and many have rear cameras, it makes you wonder why we have this problem.
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