A Ranty-Pants Post: My Thoughts on the Police Union Rant about Australian Swimmer Henrick Monk

I mean no offence by the following post, It’s my attempt to have a humorous look at rants and a chance to experiment with being a ranty-pants myself J

I have been following the story of the Australian Swimmer Kenrick Monk in the media. Kenrick Monk broke his elbow riding his skateboard to training. He made international headlines my lying about the incident and saying it was a deliberate hit-and run. Recently it was announced by the police that he would not face charges for his behaviour.

Personally, I think that that Kenrick Monk acted in a very impulsive and immature way. However I am not sure that formal charges would have any usefulness in fixing the damage that has been done by this lie or serve any real purpose. I believe he will be facing the consequences of this lie throughout his entire life. Apparently the Queensland Police Union has a different opinion and a representative of the union has stated.

"Swimming Australia now being caught red-handed being complicit in orchestrating Mr Monk finagling out of being charged by police, has to be the final nail in the coffin of Swimming Australia's fast sinking credibility," Mr Leavers said.

"The public rightly expect that no one should deliberately waste the time of police, whether they be wannabe B-grade celebrity athletes like this modern-day 'boy who cried wolf', Kenrick Monk, or just regular people.

The union rep seems to be saying, in a round-about and ranty way, that valuable police time had been wasted and this time would be better spent doing more important things.

I have been thinking abut this rant by the Queensland Police union representative and I have come up with a rant of my own....

....Recently a friend of mine was fined by the police for parking on the nature strip at the school. As is the case with many new schools in this area, there as been little planing for parent parking at drop-offs and pick-ups. When the 20 or so car-spaces are full, there is little choice for the other 600 or so cars, but to park on the nature strip. Parking on the strip  is not obstructive or dangerous (except perhaps to the grass).

Is this an example of a more useful way that police could be spending their time?? 

Instead of using their time prosecuting mums for parking on the grass to pick up kindergarten children, the police could be doing other useful things….. you guessed it, I have some suggestions.

My son Buster likes to help me open the petrol cap on the car and watch me fill the car with petrol. Last time he tried to ‘help’ Sirens sounded and a loudspeaker announced that I could remove my child from the petrol bowsers immediately. As I attempted to wrestle my scared and screaming child into the car the loudspeaker repeated this demand twice. I Immediately drove away (there was no need to pay, I had not pumped any petrol, we were only just opening the car petrol cap) giving the loudspeaker a gesture of my own!! Since this appears to be such a serious offence,  I suggest that  preventing underage petrol cap opening would be a  more useful way to spend police time.

‘Car-park mum' apprehended me in the car park to tell me my son has been rough with her children and other children at the preschool. I immediately went to see the teachers, who unequivocally said that this was untrue. Yes, there had been some small issues over toy sharing, but no more than many of the other 3 and 4 year olds. Again, I suggest that mediating toy disputes between preschoolers may be another useful way to spend police time!

Obviously this post has been very tongue and cheek. But my point is that although clearly, the union rep was very upset about Kenrick Monk ‘getting away’ with his lie. I believe there are more important things for the police union to be worried about than the credibility of Swimming Australia. Perhaps the rant by the union rep was almost as impulsive and inappropriate as Kendrick Monks lie…..

……Just as my rant is equally impulsive and inappropriate. But gosh, it felt good to write it!!