Back in about 1984 in another life in Russell, Bay of Islands, I drove a clapped out Datsun 1200 bought on hire purchase from some dodgy outfit on K Road, Auckland - Moneyforjamich Motors, or Emptyyourwalletich Motors, or something like that. Probably owned by John Yelash.
They financed me into the deal at usury interest rates but I had no choice - my partner was bankrupt, I was a poor risk and made my living waiting on tables, cooking breakfast and cleaning guest rooms (emptying adulterers' ashtrays) at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, and taking in ironing. Plus I had three kids and another on the way. Life was sweet. No respo's.
Taking the kids to the dentist, and one who needed specialist eye care, and me to the obstetrician, meant a day trip to Whangarei. So one morning when we came out and found our car missing it was pretty damn disastrous. Fortunately for us, good mates helped out then months later my Dad died and we got his car. But as a family living on a tight budget, losing that Datsun was pretty devastating.
Additionally, I'd only been able to afford third party insurance and spent the next three years paying off the loan. The local cop (who couldn't chase a blowfly through a meatsafe) never found the old Datsun - HC5664.
Thousands of cars are stolen in New Zealand. It's a self-help mentality - if you don't own a car take your pick. And what happens when the outraged owner reports same theft to police? Two thousand "fleeing driver incidents" a year usually resulting in crashes, deaths, injuries and inevitable grief.
This weekend two of these deaths were teenagers who lived a few kilometres away from me. I know Alan Maxwell, the youth worker who tried to help these kids, but I disagree when he says it's a community problem. I also disagree with Police Minister Judith Collins who says teenagers need reminding of the "absolute stupidity" of fleeing from police officers.
Back up the truck a bit.
What about drumming into kids' heads the serious consequences of breaking the law? Stealing cars, in my book, is a major crime - taking other people's valuable property - they should realize how badly it affects an owner. Are we expected to believe cars are the first things these kids have ever stolen?
Teenagers are shits - they are programmed to be so. I was a shit. My kids were shits. If you get them through teenage years alive it's a miracle. Nobody wants to bury their kids. This is not new so why the sudden handwringing? I think of the words in that old song by Simon & Garfunkle: "The kids have no respect for the law today and blah blah blah. Save the life of my child, cried the desperate mother. Oh what's becoming of the children? People asking each other."
But pursuits going bad is not the cops' fault. Without the decision to steal a vehicle, there would be no pursuit. Police have chased criminals since Mr Plods wobbled along on bicycles blowing their whistles. The difference is today chases are faster so it's not rocket salad to work out how it's going to end.
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