28 September 2006

Hargreaves wants to ban bastard window washers

| Kerces
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Municipal services minister John Hargreaves is preparing a cabinet submission banning roadside window washers, NowUC reports.

He said that although the ACT Government is tolerant of these window washers, he personally does not hold the same view. “The language that I portray to them leaves them in no doubt about whether I want my windscreen washed, but does often cast doubts on the marital status of their parents,” he said.

Canberra is one of the few places in the country where it isn’t illegal to seek money for washing windows on the side of the road.

Ian, who works at the Dickson intersection, told NowUC that they often get approached by police for help looking out for stolen cars and missing children and animals. Mr Hargreaves agreed that the window washing jobs are useful for keeping people out of trouble, apparently arguing against his want to ban them. “What would you prefer: to put up with somebody slopping dirty water on your windscreen or robbing your house so they can pinch your DVD?” he said.

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Hargreaves better be careful in laying the blame elsewhere, the interview was fully recorded, with transcripts provided to the CT. He shouldnt be allowed to just blame this one on students.

Why didn’t the ABC interview Andrew Bucklow instead of allowing Hargreaves to tear apart the comments that were apparently taken out of context?? If the Canberra Times were willing to run the story than surely this kid has a bit of cred… not the incompetent student journo Hargreaves made him out to be.

I must be a cheapskate – I usually only give them a few silver coins.

I delight in closing the window when they greedily reach in for their gold coin reward, just as I whack the V6 through 3000rpm on the lights turning green.

I kinda like sitting at traffic lights without being checked out and stared at by old sweaty men who wash windows for a living. They clean my already clean windows!

Not and alleged bad way to allegedly sell alleged heroin either (allegedly).

Interestingky the CT ran this story today under the joint byline of Andrew Bucklow (the NowUC journo) and Markus Mannheim. My pal Markus had added about two pars, but otherwise it ran verbatim as on the NowUC site. Wonder which of the three publications Hargreaves spotted it in first?

“Ian, who works at the Dickson intersection, told NowUC that they often get approached by police for help looking out for stolen cars and missing children and animals.

What a load of bollocks. “

I 2nd the bollocks

Since the ACT Govt is so cash strapped why don’t they license these people? They could call for expressions of interest from people wanting to work particular intersections and let the bidding begin … of course they’d have to get a commitment that the provider was compliant with OH&S requirements and that they had a super scheme and public liability and professional indemnity insurances and issued tax receipts … it’d be cheaper to pay the scum-bag to do it for free as a community service.

On another note, didn’t the squeegee boy that floats between the intersection in Manuka and the one on Hindmarsh Drive, Red Hill run for election to the Legislative Assembly last time around?

Maybe they could work at building the arboretum and/or the dragway?

in salt lake city a few years back a bum approached me for change, i didnt give him any, but a few people who saw it told me that there was a workhouse nearby that if they really wanted a feed, clothing, a blanket etc they coudl go there and for a few hours labour they would be fed and clothed.

seems sensible to me. act is small enough to try it.

btw – salt lake city ‘hooters’ rocks…

id rather they wash windows than busk like that tuneless junkie who infested garema place for about a year with her tiresome yodelling.

I think they’re allowed to express private views without being called corrupt.

Oh that’s cool, but I got the impression from the article he is moving to legislate his personal view, not just express it.

>For fuck sake leave the tax office out of it. Last thing we need is them bearing down on the poor unfortunates. Its way overly complicated as it is and still to high. If these guys get away with it good on them.

Are you high?? “Poor unforuntates”??? Let’s say that figure about is correct – 3x$120 a day. Let’s be conservative and average it out to $200 a day.

CASH.

That’s the other side of $70K. TAX FREE.

Personally, I’m bloody glad of the window washers. I am not that short but I am unable to reach the other side of my windscreen with a squeegee. This means I end up with those stupid streaks on one side. I’ve tried a longer handle but then I just don’t have the control you need to press firmly enough against the window to get a good clean.

If there were no more intersection cleaners I would never have a clean windscreen.

On a more political note Hargreaves ought not to be the Minister for Multicultural Affairs if he can’t help but discriminate.

Perhaps we should encourage cleaners to wear suits, then he might view them as entrepreneurs.

personally, i won’t let them wash my window, or give them money, but good on them for doing it.

i’m pretty sure you’ll find centrelink and the ATO DID crack down on them all a while back.

I know the cane begger you talk about, and he hatttes me… I let him have it

I think they’re allowed to express private views without being called corrupt.

and he’s dnying it now.

Where the public outcry about window washers?

Isn’t this personal move by Hargreaves otherwise known, therefore, as corruption?

Tax wise, forget chasing them. Use the resources to enforce compliance on the big end of town.

Recently I’ve been approached a few times by beggars in Civic (including the old guy with the can who pretends he wants change for the bus), and my approach is to confront them a bit more directly (“really, you want change for the bus but you’re nowhere near the interchange? what’s really going on here”). My other idea, which I have yet to implement, is to research a list of churches and charities in the city area who will help people, and carry a few copies of the list to hand out. That said, I once had the same chick approach me 3 times with different stories. I’ll gladly support charities with experience and training in genuinely helping these people, but I’ll be fcked if I’m going to give them my hard earned cash.

“Ian, who works at the Dickson intersection, told NowUC that they often get approached by police for help looking out for stolen cars and missing children and animals.”

What a load of bollocks.

“Yeah Al, dob him into the Tax Office”

For fuck sake leave the tax office out of it. Last thing we need is them bearing down on the poor unfortunates. Its way overly complicated as it is and still to high. If these guys get away with it good on them. Not much difference between them and the top end of town lol when it comes to tax.

Hargreaves denied saying this stuff when interviewed on ABC local this arvo. Reckons he was misquoted, blamed the student journo (kindly, if slightly patronisingly) for being a student journo, and said he was just saying that’s what SOME people say about the window washers!

My 2c – I have no prob with the windscreen washers, they give the place a bit of character. If I can’t pay one day, I pay double (around $5) the next time. They are always cheery even on a freezing winter’s morning.

Good to see our Cabinet spending its time on matters of such vital importance.

Big Al if it is such a good living why don’t you do and quit whinging. It is not like you have to go through a selection process.

Personal putting with people like Mr Hargreaves would make it a pretty bad job.

Yep – cash in hand employment and far be it from me to suggest that they may also be on some sort of government support (since I’ll bet they’re not declaring that income or the full amount of that income).

But that’s just the cynic in me talking…

Yeah Al, dob him into the Tax Office. There is a dob in line on their web site. Just tell them to go and see Zeff’s.

Try getting a tax recipt off the prick! I saw him in Zeff’s once changing his coins for notes he walked out with $120-odd and the pizza guy reckons that on a good day he might do that three times – where’s the bloody tax office when you need them.

I think they should be allowed to continue, but I have a few suggestions.

1. They should have an ABN, pay tax and must issue a tax invoice on request

2. They should have to meet the same worksafe standards as road workers, including wearing one of those reflective vests

3. They should bid for a permit for exclusive access to intersections, the better the intersection the more it will cost

I hate that old beggar with the walking stick in Civic, I heard that he was an alco/gambler.

barkingtoad – I think its a gold coin (don’t know as have never asked them to do it – although they’ve just done it anyway for free sometimes, which can be annoying).

But.. they aren’t harming anyone

My guess, those quotes are from after lunch.

barking toad3:08 pm 28 Sep 06

Just curious – what is the accepted remuneration for a window wash these days?

And heargraves is a spastic.

I love those guys… especially during locust season when I’m trekking to sydney…

HarXXcoreXXpratts would appeal to the youngens

No, the Prats Party will do…

Absent Diane2:15 pm 28 Sep 06

i think pratt and hargreaves should form their own party.

Prattgreaves???

If it is true that Hargreaves publicly equates window washers with crims, then he is a disgrace. Ditto for questioning their parentage.
The arrogant old sh*t should never have been reinstated after his drink driving offence; time to go, John!

Let’s ban the bloody chuggers in City Walk first – far more of a pest than these guys.

He seems awfully fired up about a very small issue.

Leave the poor buggers alone. I’m happy to give them some change to wash my windscreen. Good on their little entreprenereal pluck, I say.

Has Hargreaves been on the turps again?

I applaud the decision on OH&S grounds.

i think pratt and hargreaves should form their own party.

“What would you prefer: to put up with somebody slopping dirty water on your windscreen or robbing your house so they can pinch your DVD?”

Is neither one of the options?

Mr Hargreaves has obviously got his knickers in a knot. I reckon leave them be – Good on them for getting out there and making an effort I think – I wouldn’t want to be out there cleaning windows in either the hot sun or the freezing cold.
But they seem to be there no matter the weather…

Absent Diane1:04 pm 28 Sep 06

yeah pretty appalling.

Absent Diane12:59 pm 28 Sep 06

at least they are doing something with themselves

That bloke in Dickson – Ian someone said – he is a legend – My brother got him a squeegie for x-mas with a bow on it – he was a very happy man.

He told me bluntly once that he would rather get his gear that way – rather than being a crim.

So what happens if the ACT makes what he is now doing agains the law – just makes a load of for the most part law abidig citizens into criminals huh.

I dont mind them – tho some need to know the meaning of no – that guy near jolimont scares me – and Im not even a female – I can see how they scare females driving alone

Are the police going to do something about all the bloody beggars in Civic at the same time?

If not i’d rather leave the window washers alone, most of them do a good job, you can always say no, and some days the windscreen really does need washing.

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