Don’t get me going on the ATO. I just bought another house and had a couple of cash-flow issues. I have to pay my tax quarterly and I called them to delay payment whilst I sorted it out. The buggers would not allow me to postpone payment for a month and said they would charge me interest on the outstanding amount.

The irony is that the cash-flow issues were because the ATO (one of my customers) owed my business over $100k, which was 90 days overdue. You reckon I could add interest to their bill?

Perhaps another job for Bastard Squad.

Re Grumpy Old Men:

I don’t think us oldies are getting grumpier, I think that standards have slipped drastically. Our expectations were based upon a different set of values. The issue is that on the one side we have far more freedom in the way we can express ourselves, but the downside is that many of the stuffy old values that people sought to emancipate themselves from were the basis of far greater levels integrity and respect in our everyday interactions. And whilst no one would support a return to the Dickensian attitudes that kept the lid on the slack social values of today, it’s gone far to far the other way.

Although I do think we should bring back a smack around the chops for some of these social misfits. In this vein, I recently wrote to my local constabulary with a suggestion to cut down on hooligan road users.

The issue is that these <edited>s drive like maniacs, often displaying threatening and aggressive behaviour. Do you think they are going to be put off by a $50 fine? Sure! These people only understand violence, so the way to deal with them is in the same manner.

The police should have a special unit called “Bastard Squad”. Travelling around in unmarked cars, they seek out hoons (I hear some of you saying; do they not already have this? but my idea is an extension of this). These special officers are licensed to dish-out on the spot “fines”. However, since we have established that these hoons only understand violence, the fine is in actual fact a summary punch in the gob, really hard.

Better still, Bastard Squad should recruit a, seemingly, harmless old granny who is specially trained in agro and punching really hard in the face. Specially equipped with hotted-up Morris Minor, she can be the bait to trap our recalcitrant yobbo, but is licensed to pursue at high speed and, when cornered, smack their
f-ing faces in.

They should tape their escapades, which can then be televised on a weekly program so we can all enjoy the retribution.

The argument you will end up having is if the heater was defective at the time of sale. One could argue that the onus was on you to ensure the property was inspected and they were not aware of this defect at the time of sale.