(In my mind: I am just a person on planet Earth, trying to get from position A to position B, less than 5 metres away).
Having now lived in the UK and Netherlands for over 10 years, I feel this would never happen here. I would expect this in the US though (so I rarely jaywalk on the few times I have been there).
I tell this anecdote as an example to my friends when I try to describe how Australia has a mix of influences from both Europe and the US.
It wouldn't happen in the UK because jaywalking is not a crime in UK.
Quiet Australians accept authority moreso than UK folk.
This is so far from my stereotype of Aussies that I feel sure it must be a troll, designed to bring out a legion of shirtless, shrimp-barbecuing cobbers, turning the air blue with their feelings about authority.
It's definitely true. Australia loves the smack of firm government and is quietly very, very authoritarian.
There's an Aussie term "Wowsers" [0] which is fascinating, as there is no British equivalent term. It often feels like the Wowsers and the Larrikins [1] are fighting an endless battle for Australia's soul. The Wowsers always win.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wowser [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrikin
* Lockout laws
* Jaywalking laws
* Weaker environmental protests than UK, despite Aus lagging the rest of the world on environmentalism.
* Mandatory helmet laws.
* Illegal to perform DIY electrics, e.g. change a plug.
* International travel currently banned. To leave Australia at the moment would require either exemption, or I relinquish citizenship.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots was the last riot involving shirtless shrimp barbecuing cobbers. Not a proud moment.
??
As someone moving to Australia in a few months, I feel like this is something I ought to know about...
> International travel currently banned.
This is the same in many countries, including the UK right now.
Arduino is fine.
> This is the same in many countries, including the UK right now.
Yes, true in UK during the past 1-2 months of national lockdown?
Aus's has been the case for 12 months.
Current lockdown started on the 4th of Jan, and the travel restrictions came in then. We also had lockdown part 2 back in November, for the whole of November, lockdown part 1 from April-June last year, and various degrees of lockdown in between with regional variations...
I've lived in Aus before, and I agree it's great for many reasons, am looking forward to being back.
On the electrical thing, I know there are some restrictions on what you can do in the UK - putting in new circuits, adding new lighting circuits etc. I've pushed the boundaries a bit here AFAICT by fixing a lighting circuit* and swapping a few single sockets for doubles. Other work like putting cat 6 in the walls I did myself without a thought. Looks like I need to take a look at the regs.
( * the light switch in our bedroom somehow flicked between "one bulb on" and "two bulbs in series", with no off setting )
(oh wow, you're right, I can't change a light fitting, or even legally change a plug from UK -> Aus without breaking the law. Will have to buy new cables where I can, maybe change one or two plugs before I leave!)
> This is the same in many countries, including the UK right now.
It isn't really. Many countries barred non-resident non-citizens from entering but only a couple went to the extent of attempting to prohibit their own citizens from leaving. The latter restriction is far more draconian.
OK then, but the UK is currently one of those places. Without good reason it's currently prohibited.
ANd I honestly don't have a problem with it, we're in the midst of a pandemic. :shrug:
By all means, protect your own country by preventing people from going in, but people should be free to leave to a different place with more relaxed rules at their own risk.
Preventing your citizens from coming back is worse.
I remember when there was a law who passed thru in Australia where every small company could fire anyone on the day (it wasn't the case before, i think there was a 3 month period or something).
The law passed and the only comments I could get from colleague at that time (not from you dan ;)) was "humm okay then"
In france there would be riots for months and years if such law passed.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it does seem unusually French.
From what I can tell the workers rights situation in France really does dissuade some companies from setting up there.
I think there would be a lot of noise in the press about it here, but I don't think riots in the streets would be part of it!
Weird, as I met a dutch woman in Australia, from Maastricht, who was deathly afraid of crossing the road at the wrong time because where she was from she could get in trouble for that.
Whereas I lived in WA for a couple of years and never saw anything like it.
I think what happens is they just get told one day to target it, when they'll stand around and catch people, otherwise they just don't care unless they take a personal dislike to you. I have heard of times they'll descend on Sydney CBD intersections like this in mobs to send a message. The rest of the time, jaywalking is generally very casually done here and not really a big deal like in some US movies.