Train Trip Needs Major Rethink
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GEELONGADVERTISER.COM.AU WEDNESDAY JULY 29 2020 15 YOUR SAY Sweet despair Train trip tive espousal of how nothing stays And when I say filled, I mean a sweet I’ve loved since I first sam- the same. jam-packed. The bar was all jade- pled it as a newly arrived immi- needs Growth. Progress. Gentrifica- green shards destined for the finest grant when I was nine years old. tion. Everything changes and our pavlova although the ample pep- A Redskin lolly was nothing I’d favourite sweets are not exempt. permint provision ensured there ever tasted. You could pull it like major Eve Let’s start with the biggest trans- was always enough for both cake taffy or snap it like a boiled sweet. gression, the Chokito bar. and mouth. Now the curved choc- And the heavenly flavour … it’s rethink FISHER A generous slab of fudge lov- olate shell is a dominant force over raspberry, you know? I’d always as- ingly coated in a thin layer of heav- the ever-shrinking distribution of sumed it was Redskin flavour. THERE is a glaring big hole THE intense saturation of our enly Nestle chocolate and rice peppermint. The flavour has remained, in the plan to restrict non- news services with all things viral crispies. Who could forget Chomps, the seemingly unchanged. Its texture, essential travel out of has given pause for thought. Did I say generous slab? Sorry. wafer caramel stalwart of mid-’90s however, has been ruined. Melbourne into our region. Clearly there is no other news, It was generous. Now it’s merely a schools canteens? But even this So while everyone is worrying While police and ADF staff or at least news that people feel is smidgen of fudge injected, almost cheap and cheerful stayer with about changing its name to some- have diligently manned the worth absorbing, aside from pro- as an afterthought, into a thick chewy ambitions could not escape thing more racially acceptable, no freeway checkpoint near Little curing detailed instructions on how mound of chocolate with a smat- the ruthless changemakers, no one is mentioning the elephant in River to ensure motorists to make a face mask or how best to tering of rice crisps. doubt hellbent of spending less the room. A Redskin is no longer entering Geelong are only here dob in your neighbour for any It’s nothing more than a fudge- money on chewy caramel and chewy and tough. Now it’s soft and for essential reasons, trains manner of COVID transgressions, flavoured fantasy of days gone by. more on crispy and cost-efficient sickly (like humanity) and leaves speed past several times a day including refusing to feel the fear. Obviously I’m offended by wafers. all your teeth in your mouth. In my transporting locals right into the You know fear lowers your im- Chokito’s transgressions because Aero bars changed long ago and house we assume the product got heart of COVID-19 hot spots. mune system, right? of its top-five status in my life, but it was a terrible change. Remember safespaced by some OH&S guru Commuters who need to As we sink ever deeper into the I’ve reserved the true outrage for the slogan from the ’80s, “It’s the who thought some poor sap may travel to Melbourne by train are pit of selfless destruction that is the the newly presented Peppermint bubbles of nothing that make it re- well choke on such a sticky delight. stopped at lockdown areas such age of altruistic morality, I feel if I Crisp. ally something”? Never were truer Look, it’s not all misery and de- as Wyndham, Tarneit and don’t reveal this angst coherently, As it’s another Nestle product, words spoken. Until they changed cline. Take Cadbury chocolate, for Footscray for fellow travellers to it will simply bubble to the surface I’m beginning to fear there is a the texture. example. Yes, the blocks are small- board. The Public Transport and envelop not just myself, but game at play and we are nothing Gone were the light and fluffy er but, in my humble opinion, the Users Association says this everyone around me. more than pawns. bubbles that collapsed gently upon flavour and texture haven’t forced mixing with people from It’s time to reveal the transgres- If you hark back to those heady consumption, replaced instead changed. As far as chocolate goes, heavily infected and locked sions committed against one of the days of consumer obsession, you with a dense alternative that put a it is still the taste of my childhood. down areas has caused quite a world’s greatest unifying delights. will remember the Peppermint stop to the crumbling goodness And in a big win for advocates, lot of angst for Geelong I am, of course, talking about Crisp as a wide, flat, thinly coated that was a delight to the tongue. the return of the Polly Waffle has travellers who have no option chocolate. And other exemplary chocolate bar filled with “glass”. My final complaint is directed at undoubtedly proven that one but to catch public transport. sugary treats that peppered our should never give up. Some time While fewer passenger childhoods with joy and simplicity next year the marshmallow numbers has meant most but have changed in recent incar- wafer log will take pride of services have provided nations. place among the others who opportunities to maintain social Of course, no change in recipe have stood the test of time. distancing with other is going to stop me imbibing and The big question now is, commuters, this is not always relishing the pleasure sugar so will it be a true Polly Waffle achievable. immediately brings, but upon or just a nostalgic reminder The suggestion of separating consumption it will definitely that everything changes carriages for regional and elicit a dramatic and contempla- and nothing stays the same. Melbourne-based passengers is worth pursuing. While it might be difficult to police, it is at least a deterrent that would offer some degree of comfort to anxious local passengers. BIN COLLECTION OFFER vice for your brilliant handling of this under systems and structures that I look forward to continuing to JUST A LOAD OF RUBBISH situation and thank you to the rub- have not changed since the 1950s. work closely with the sector as we LAST Tuesday, July 21, some mis- bish collection service for your mag- The establishment of Fire Rescue write a new chapter in modernising THIS DAY chievous person placed our general nificent service. Victoria (FRV) will give them — and Victoria’s fire services together. IN HISTORY waste rubbish bin behind a tree on What do we pay rates for? the Victorian community — the Lisa Neville, our nature strip, and I happened to Chris White, world-class fire services they deserve. Bellarine MP and Minister for Police and 1030 — King Olaf, patron saint of see the rubbish truck go driving past Grovedale FRV brings all paid firefighters Emergency Services Norway, is killed in battle our house without stopping. across the state into one organisation I went outside and discovered the FIRE RESCUE VICTORIA and strengthens the CFA as a volun- PUBLIC SCRUTINY NEEDED 1565 — Mary Queen of Scots bin behind the tree, but at this time A WORLD-CLASS SYSTEM teer-only agency. ON PLANNING ISSUES marries Henry, Lord Darnley the truck had reached the end of our I’D like to take the opportunity to re- In our region, we will continue to ONE of the first decisions made by 1841 — Group of Maori chiefs sell street. spond to the recent Geelong Adver- see volunteers and career firefighters our current council was to approve about 1214ha around Waitemata I then rang the City of Greater tiser article “Volunteers fire up over working side-by-side, just as they works to remedy Armstrong Creek’s Harbour, present site of Auckland, Geelong customer service and was merger”. have for many years. stormwater drainage mess, at a cost to New Zealand government told they had no way of contacting As Minister for Police and Emer- These reforms have not been un- to ratepayers of more than $18m. 1890 — Vincent van Gogh, Dutch the truck driver, but to leave the bin gency Services, I know that volun- dertaken lightly. Between February We were told developer contribu- post-impressionist painter, dies out for two days and somebody teers are the lifeblood of our and March 2020, 54 engagement tions had “run out” so the people had two days after shooting himself would pick it up as soon as possible. community. I’ve had the privilege of workshops were held with more than to bear the full cost. On Thursday, July 23, at 4pm, I meeting thousands of dedicated fire- 1330 volunteers and we will continue While the public may never know 1914 — Transcontinental telephone again rang CoGG customer service to fighters in my role, and each and to engage and support our volunteer the entire story as to how this plan- service begins in the US with first be told that the two days finish on Fri- every one has an unwavering com- firefighters in the days, weeks and ning disaster was allowed to happen phone conversation between New day, so to leave the bin out as it was mitment to community safety. months ahead. nor who the chief beneficiaries were, York and San Francisco being attended to. As our population grows and in- We’ve also recently announced a one thing is certain: better govern- 1948 — First Olympic Games after Come Friday, at 4.15pm I again stances of fire increases across $126m investment for the CFA to go ance is what Geelong needs.