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Richard Pettifer <rpettifer@gmail.com> Caboolture Editorial <CabNewsEd@scnews.com.au> Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 1:03 PM Re: gmail.com

MorningVicky!Thanksforyourquickresponse.I'mfromMelbourne,andI'mcurrentlyonaglobal performancetourworkingwithcompaniesinIndonesia,India,Iran,TurkeyandRomaniaoverlandto Berlintolivewithmygirlfriend,thevisualartistSonjaHornung.IdidsomeperformancesinSydneyand wroteaplayaboutcoalmininginAcland,QLD,andwasonmywayNorth,readytobepickedupby somefriendsthenextday.ItriedacampsiteinLawntonbuttheladytheresaidtheycouldonlyaccept Campervansbecauseofregulations.ItriedclosebyontheNorthPineRiverbuttherewerealotof constructionworkersaroundbecauseofthefloods,asmallcomedyensuredwheretheywouldcome overinacartotheexactpointwhereIwasandIwouldhavetoshuffleoffinanembarrassedmanner. EventuallyIgaveupandmadethe1kmwalkbacktothetrainstation. IwastryingtodecidewhethertogetbacktoBrisbaneandgetahostelorheadfurtherNorth.Butit'smy policytosavemoneywhilstI'minAustraliaIdon'thaveverymuchmoney,anditdoesn'tmakesense tospendithereandthennotbeabletospendmoneyinIndonesia,IndiaorIranwhereitisneeded more.SoIlookedonGoogleStreetViewofmyphoneandsawCaboolutre'sluscious,cultivatedfields andthought,'paradise!'andmadeforthere. IleftthetrainstationandtookawalkthroughCaboolture'sdelightfulpublicparks,orwhatIthought wereparks,andnowrealisemustbeweddingreceptionlandunder24hourvideosurveillance.Because withinabout10minutesofmesettingdown,avanarrivedandsatnearmewithitslightson.Itsatthere for10minutes,notmoving.Thenitmovedon.Thatwasenoughforme,I'dfoundabadspotagain,and soIpickedupmythingsandcontinuedon.AsIwalkedpasttherollinghillsIsawthesigncarvedintothe side"Congratulations"itsays. Isearchedaroundtheareabutthewholeplaceseemstobespecificallydesignedsothatyoucannot sleepanywhere,allofitiseitherunderfloodlightsorthickbush.Imustn'tbethefirstpersontohave triedthis,andit'sfeelingmoreandmorelikethere'sawelloiledmachineheretostopme. SoIdecidetotakethelongwalktothecaravanparkattheendoftown.It'sabrutaldecisionbecause it's12amnow,andI'mcompletelyexhausted,andthecaravanparkprobablywon'tbeopenanyway. Butit'sobviousthatIcan'tstayhere,andsurelytherewillbesomewhereIcanpitchmyonemantent andpaytheminthemorning. Inthatlong3kmwalkIstarttonoticethepolicecarsbuzzingaroundme.Theykeepdrivingpastmeand thenturningoffontosidestreets.It'sstrange.Thereareliterallypoliceevery5minutesofmywalk.

ButifI'vedonesomethingillegal,Itellmyself,itwasjustaccidentaltresspassingorperhaps"intention tosleep"whichis,Ithink,sortofapettycrime.Soperhapsit'sjustacoincidence. Butno.Becausesoonuponreachingthecaravanparkandfindingitunwelcometovisitorsatthishour (notasurprise),acarcomesupthedirtroad,seesmeinitsheadlights,andimmediatelycutstheengine andlights.Itjustsitsthere.Waiting. NowIstarttothinktheremustbesomekindofconspiricygoingon.Idwellforabout10minutestosee iftheywillmoveatall.MaybeI'mwrong?Maybeit'sjustacoincidence,andthisisallhappeninginmy head?Butthecardoesn'tmove. SoeventuallyIdecidetowalkbackpastit. Iwalkpastit.There'snomovement.OnthesideofthecarismarkedCabooltureSecurity. Ireachtheroadbackintotown,andnowIreallydon'tknowwhattodo.I'mtotallyexhausted,Ifeellike I'vebeenchasedoutoftownbythepoliceandthesecurityinsomekindofoddconspiricy.Idecidetogo tothegasstationanddrinkcoffeeuntilthemorningcomes. Andifyou'veeverbeeninthiskindofprecariousposition,youwouldknowthatthisiswhentheworst stuffhappens.It'spreciselywhenyou'retired,hungry,nowheretosleep,thatsomethinggoes disastrouslywrong. WhenIfirsthearthe'hello!'Isighwithreliefthatsomeonehereisactuallytalkingtome.Thereisa shortexchange,andthenhistwofriendscomeover.theyaremuchlesspleasantandaskformoney.I tellthemthetruththatIdon'thaveverymuchmoney.Andtheystarttohitme. I'veneverbeenbashedbefore,butIlikenittobeinghitwiththebackofacricketbatwhenIwasin grade3.Thereisnosensethatthesearehumanfistshittingme,theyjustfeellikebitsofwoodorrock.I can'tgoanywherebecauseI'mcarryingallofmystuff.Theyhitmefourtimestotheface,oneofthem kneesmetotheheadandIfeelmytoothsnap,andIimmediatelypreythatit'stheonemydentistsaidI shouldhaveoutanyway(itwas!).Oneoftheguysyells'stop,stop'andtheysaytome"don'tpassout! don'tpassout!"andtheyholdmeupandaskagainformywallet.Igiveittothemandtheytakethe$50 out."Youwon'tgotothecops,willyou?"Ialmostlaugh."No,IthinkI'lljustgetsomecoffee".Theygive me$5backtogetacoffee.Iwanderaway,gotothegasstation,getacoffee,wait5minutesandget himtoordermeataxi.Thetaxidrivertakesmetothehospital,whereIwaituntilmorning. Itstrikesmeduringallthisthatthemostremarkablethingaboutitisthatinthe4hoursIwaswalking aroundCaboolture,theseguysweretheonlyoneswhoshowedmeanysocietyatall.Theywerethe onlyoneswhoeventalkedtome.Everyoneelsejustshonetheirlightsatmelikeascenefrom Hitchcock'sPsychoorSpielberg'sDuel.

Doesaplacehaveadutyofcaretohelppeoplepassingthrough?I'mnotsure.Certainly,thetemptation istheretosay'it'snotmyproblem'.Butwhathappenedtomeisdistressingnotforthefinaleventitself, whichwasjustalogicalconclusiontomynight,buttheeventsbefore.Whychasemeoutoftown?Does keepingacleanimagemeanmorethanprotectingthepeopleit'ssurelytheretoprotect?Ibrought nothingthatcouldbeofdamagetothecommunity,Iwouldhaveuppedandleftby5am,andthereality isthattheactionsofthepoliceandthesecurityhereseemstohavemadeanunfortunatesituationfar, farworse. That'sitinanutshellVickymuchmoreinterestingstuffhappened,likemyrelationshipwiththeguys whohitme,butthat'spossiblyastoryforanothertime.Ithoughttheremightbesomethingofinterest toalocalpublicationhere.Andtherearesomethingsthat,fromanoutsiderperspective,makenosense atall.You'rewelcome,ofcourse,toanswerthemyourself.I'veheardfromvarioussourcessincethen thanCaboolturehasareputationforbeingaroughplace. IhaveattachedashittypictureItookofmyinthehospital.(Notlookingatmybest,admittedly!) Best,Richard