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Dob-a-rodder and
discrimination
The historical situation
Australia has a history of over-government, of
communities that are micro-managed in a fashion that,
to some outsiders, is
viewed as peculiar. Apart
from the tragedies of the stolen generation, this
paternalism is largely benign and acceptable, as was
the case with the registration of modified vehicles,
in most states. In the fifties we moved from
approval by the local copper to dedicated
departments that inspected trucks, cars, lifts and
other complicated bits. These departments sometimes
issued whimsical interpretations by occasionally
obtuse bureaucrats, and in most states they resisted
all attempts to reach a codified arrangement with
members of car clubs.
The only way around the
intransigence of officials who declared that a Model
A would never be registered with a V8 in
it, was to lie about the engine swap, when the car
was registered. In some states, the
sticker in the ‘screen didn’t record the make &
model, so many a rodder had papers that listed the
car as a Valiant or a Falcon, for instance. That was
fine when everything went smoothly, but life isn’t
like that, and if such a car was involved in an
accident, then the car, and the driver, would have
been un-insured. That was not acceptable to most.
The long hard slog to gain
registration
In the late sixties & all through the seventies,
rodders worked in various Technical Advisory
Committees, and set to work convincing the
bureaucrats that engineers had inspected the plans
that the TACs had put together, and slowly a
conditional acceptance by the officials replaced the
combative situation that existed previously.
Guidelines replaced whimsical dogma, standards were
set and adhered to, and limits were negotiated and
renegotiated. Political manipulation played a part –
in Queensland, The Minister for Everything issued a
decree that forced the bureaucrats to sit at the
table with rodders.
The arguments
The argument by those who would dob-in-a-rodder is
that we must self-enforce the rules, as the
alternative will surely result in the hard fought
concessions being withdrawn by the authorities. It
could be said that they still see the authorities in
the same light as their paternalistic predecessors,
which might be a reasonable interpretation, given
the history.
On the other hand, those opposed
to having rodders inform the authorities of
transgressions by members, say that there are
already methods in place to deal with such matters.
They resent having members of their community
becoming vigilantes, and see the divisiveness as
destructive and unnecessary. ‘Let the Police do the
policing’, in effect.
The group can’t be
punished for the actions of an individual
This principal is enshrined in law, a result of
Political Correctness at it most appropriate, the
pinnacle of protection against broad
generalizations, the entire rationalization that
gives us anti-discriminatory laws of all persuasion.
Without this basic tenet the philosophy that applies
to laws that protect us from racial vilification,
sexism and other forms of discriminatory behaviour
would fall in a heap.
On a practical level, can you
imagine the lawsuits from the many cashed up rodders
whose registration was cancelled because a neighbour
drove his car without fenders? The bureaucrats would
be swamped with letters from elected
representatives, each requiring the officials to
explain such precipitate and high handed action.
These officials are not unreasonable people; in fact
many of them are involved in automotive hobbies, in
similar proportions to the population at large. Even
if they privately contemplated it, these officials
don’t need to take action against the group; the
processes of applying sanctions against the
individual already exist. Cars may be recalled for
inspection where the car is observed to be in breach
of the conditions of its registration. Inspectors
and Police have powers to force vehicles to be
re-inspected if they are observed to be in breach,
and Police can issue fines on the spot.
Conclusion
We, as members of the hot rodding community, do not
have to become vigilantes to protect our
registration schemes, indeed, that behaviour is
destructive.
Floyd Lippencott
Responses to
“Dob-a-rodder and discrimination”
Chris Dansie,
says:
Sat 9/08/2008 9:37 PM
I sense we are approaching a level of maturity in
our hobby where we can confidently resist the notion that we should
dob in a rodder. Our registration
levels are up around the 1400 (still growing steadily) and are
spread across the state.
That way I see it is this:-
If my neighbour fits 12 x 18 alloys and Mickey Thompsons to his
brand new Toyota Hilux, I don't believe there is an expectation that
I dob on him to the DoT.
The same then, should apply to my other neighbour who removes the
fenders from his brand new hiboy before going for a drive.
Each drove away from their respective registration points
with a compliant vehicle and each chose to modify them afterwards.
It is the role of the overriding enforcement authority to deal with
these people.
In the case of the ASRF sanctioned TAC's, there should be a clear
statement handed to the vehicle owners stating that their rods have
been legally registered in the form they were presented at the final
inspection and that those records are available for inspection in
the event of the vehicle being involved in an accident or being
subjected to DoT inspection. This clearly protects the ASRF and the
TACs in the same way that Vehicle Modification Plate fitters are
protected against action if owners misuse plates applied by them.
The risk then, is borne by the owner.
The last thing I want is to be lumbered with some sort of
responsibility for the actions of others involved in this hobby. ie
I don't want to be made to feel guilty if I overlook a vehicle that
I know does not comply. The DC State
Director and/or the TAC reps can make up their own mind about what
action they will take, individually, in respect of obviously illegal
vehicles
I do reserve the right to dob in some one that has done something
that I believe is dangerous.
A final thought - The introduction of the National scheme should put
an end to this.
Chris
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