On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:22:17 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:



You just haven't got it yet, have you Vic?

The reason that such monitoring is so lacking is that the motorcar is
a religious device and political weapon in the USA. Henry Ford and
those manufacturers who came later were heavily subsidised by the
forerunner of the CIA. The technology was made desirable and along
with Coca-Cola (another CIA subsidised business) was exported to other
countries in order that they be made dependent on the internal
combustion engine. This allowed the fuel companies (which I believe
currently benefit for Government support or subsidy in the US) to
extract vast sums of wealth for supplying the fuel. Then, when the
entire world was addicted, they could impact upon country's economies
at will just by restricting or increasing supply at will.

That car ownership is akin to a religious cult is obvious. People pay
a fortune to own something they cannot sensibly afford, they are
intensely passionate about them as well as about their driving ability
- road rage for one and they are a part of every male's manhood.

That's my contribution to conspiracy theories.

Not bad. Could have worked Marlboros in though. And maybe KFC.

A friend recently told me that his company was instituting random drug
tests for their truck drivers in Sydney as several have been found to
take drugs. One was even discovered driving past a gate house watching
a video.

I've read they have long freight train-like multi-trailer rigs in Oz.
That might require a little care in who is "engineering" the train.
I think doubles are the limit in the U.S., but wouldn't swear to it.
Most trucker regulation here is done after an accident.

--Vic