Woden Wake?

I continually complain about the vandalism because you dont accept the fact it is vandalism. You didnt get permission, you made permanent marking on public property. Thats what vandalism is.

You want honest feedback on what you should be doing?

– Call up the council tomorrow with your buddies and organise a time to paint over the walls and doors that have been spray-painted. Remove anything that is left on the ground next to the wall, sort out what should be given to the family and what is to be thrown out.
– Ask the council permission to place a small plaque up at Pine Island (at your cost)
– Organise an event (perhaps a BBQ?) where all proceeds raised to kids alive do the five or a local swimming school or alcohol awareness programs
– Organise a CPR resuscitation chart to be installed at Pine Island.

I’m just brainstorming here, but these things are a lot more meaningful that spray-painting his name on a toilet door.

creative_canberran said :

I know you and your friends… I know your type. The language , the tone, the irrationality.

Now I know my question, written in proper english, might be a bit difficult for you to understand so let me ask it again.
What do you and your compadres actually contribute to society?
Don’t wait for a translation… answer me now!

I’m just going to go out on a limb here and say that questioning a grieving teenager’s right to a place in society based on subjective ideas of ‘contribution’ is not exactly constructive.

imissyou said :

You don’t know me or my friends so calling us bogan’s are some serious allegations. That is what we are doing, that would be the reason we are not at school! Here we go with the vandalising again seriously are your lives that pathetic that you have to complain about the same thing over and over again?!

I know you and your friends… I know your type. The language , the tone, the irrationality.

Now I know my question, written in proper english, might be a bit difficult for you to understand so let me ask it again.
What do you and your compadres actually contribute to society?
Don’t wait for a translation… answer me now!

You don’t know me or my friends so calling us bogan’s are some serious allegations. That is what we are doing, that would be the reason we are not at school! Here we go with the vandalising again seriously are your lives that pathetic that you have to complain about the same thing over and over again?!

imissyou said :

You are unbelievable, ever think that maybe when someone dies you need time off school? No point in going if your just going to cry the whole time.

Then cry at home, or at a friends house at some type of wake, dont go vandalising public property.
hurrrr durrrr

imissyou said :

I think you have all managed to put your point across that you DONT want the wall to stay there well do you know what its not f***ing up to you in any way shape or form, i personally along with many others will just keep putting it back up if you even remove a small fragment of it. Have a think about it, your friend dies, you want to spend your time where he used to go the most, in this case is at Woden Interchange. Go ahead and call us all Bogan’s saying anything and everything you can think of to insult us, but at the end of the day you are the one’s being complete assholes to a young boy who didnt deserve to die and was far too young. As for Bogan’s wearing ‘Trackies’ and Jumpers and having ‘rats tails’ are you really that unhappy with your life that you feel the need to comment on little things like that. Seriously grow up, you insensitive f***s!

Imissyou, answer me one question… what do you and your bogan compadres actually contribute to society?

If you don’t like the negativity on here towards “bogans” then please, inform us of what redeeming qualities you have… what you do to make our society better and add to the rich tapestry of the Canberra community?

imissyou said :

Davo111 said :

Mess said :

I may be overlooking something here, but isn’t today a school day?

Apparently when you lose a friend, you’re allowed to truant, vandalise public property and threaten people.

Kids note: that was sarcasm

You are unbelievable, ever think that maybe when someone dies you need time off school? No point in going if your just going to cry the whole time.

More teenage melodrama.

Davo111 said :

Mess said :

I may be overlooking something here, but isn’t today a school day?

Apparently when you lose a friend, you’re allowed to truant, vandalise public property and threaten people.

Kids note: that was sarcasm

You are unbelievable, ever think that maybe when someone dies you need time off school? No point in going if your just going to cry the whole time.

Mess said :

I may be overlooking something here, but isn’t today a school day?

Apparently when you lose a friend, you’re allowed to truant, vandalise public property and threaten people.

Kids note: that was sarcasm

What time was all this going on? I may be overlooking something here, but isn’t today a school day?

imissyou said :

I think you have all managed to put your point across that you DONT want the wall to stay there well do you know what its not f***ing up to you in any way shape or form, i personally along with many others will just keep putting it back up if you even remove a small fragment of it. Have a think about it, your friend dies, you want to spend your time where he used to go the most, in this case is at Woden Interchange.

Get over yourself, and get busy adapting to the absence your friend. A wall won’t replace him.

If you hung around the interchange as much as you claim, you have probably noticed the several murals in the Woden Interchange that have been at the interchange.
The ones that have been left largely untouched over the years, and are well-appreciated enough to even receive Govt funding to re-do them when stains like yourself try to get rid of them.
(The strange thing that faces the Helennic Club, the old map of Woden that surrounds the tree at the interchange, and notably the Dreamtime Rainbow snake thing has an “in memory of” dedication on it)

Poor grafitti will always be removed, good grafitti ends up in galleries, murals add -something- that people like and will put up with, and the dude abides.

imissyou said :

its not f***ing up to you in any way shape or form,

yeah its up to the government – who tried to remove it until you threatened physical violence & further vandalism.

imissyou said :

i personally along with many others will just keep putting it back up if you even remove a small fragment of it. Have a think about it, your friend dies, you want to spend your time where he used to go the most, ,

you really are that selfish. According to the ABS there is one death in australia every 3 minutes and 44 seconds – which works out over 24,000 Australians so far this year have died. How many of those grieving friends are putting permanent shrines up, vandalising public property, threatening violence and threatening further vandalism? just link me to anyone else this year – oh wait you cant.

imissyou said :

but at the end of the day you are the one’s being complete assholes to a young boy who didnt deserve to die and was far too young.

You are such an idiot, nobody said he deserved to die.

You and all your friends have this mentality “we lost a friend so we can do what we like”. No you can’t, there’s this big thing called the LAW that you have to respect before your friend. People give slight allowances, however its not an excuse to carry on like idiots.

imissyou said :

Seriously grow up, you insensitive f***s!

You’re friends spray painted public property, something we call vandalism. How about some respect for the law? oh thats right, you’re insensitive

—

tldr: Man up, get your friends together and paint over the damage you’ve done. See quote below for a practical example.

Sleaz274 said :

You could establish a foundation in Michael’s name and seek donations from members of your neighbourhood to do charitable events or community service such as repainting the interchange, fixing peoples fences, pavements, clean up days, car washing etc etc… and donate all proceeds raised to kids alive do the five or a local swimming school or alcohol awareness programs.

Or volunteer your time for a day/week/month/year in his honour at said facilities or numerous charities in town. (depending on your attention span, which I imagine is small)

I think you have all managed to put your point across that you DONT want the wall to stay there well do you know what its not f***ing up to you in any way shape or form, i personally along with many others will just keep putting it back up if you even remove a small fragment of it. Have a think about it, your friend dies, you want to spend your time where he used to go the most, in this case is at Woden Interchange. Go ahead and call us all Bogan’s saying anything and everything you can think of to insult us, but at the end of the day you are the one’s being complete assholes to a young boy who didnt deserve to die and was far too young. As for Bogan’s wearing ‘Trackies’ and Jumpers and having ‘rats tails’ are you really that unhappy with your life that you feel the need to comment on little things like that. Seriously grow up, you insensitive f***s!

buzz819 said :

They were probably judging you as you went past, cranky old man, waving his walking stick while he is riding past in his lycra on a bike with panniers on the sides and a basket with a flower on the front.

I should probably point out that I myself was a teenagers some…. 2 years ago. I did and still do act somewhat like a cranky old man and I also judged other teenagers by my own sensibilities when I was one myself. And I hate people today who still confirm the stereotype of all young people/teenager as lazy, drunken, out of control, useless vandals who can’t dress properly and don’t respect authority.

I guess this discussion has disproved two stereotypes, that necessarily people who hold memorials at a bus interchange only for bogan drunk drivers and that teenagers are necessarily non-conformist unconservative menaces to society.

cegee said :

i think this points to an interesting issue:, where in society do we have space for teenagers?

it’s called a job & an education.

thy_dungeonman said :

As for teenagers hanging around the bus interchange the main reason I don’t understand is because it’s simply an unpleasant place to be. When I was teen we just had picnics, lots and lots of picnics.

.

Did you enjoy lashings of treacle and hard-boiled eggs all washed down with home made ginger beer?

dazzab said :

I’m wondering why you didn’t ask your questions of the people there? We are all strange creatures as teens but I find them very interesting to talk to. I bet if you had spoken with them they would have loved to have someone listen. Missed opportunity.

I had a bus to catch.

buzz819 said :

Mr Evil said :

So, if you’re grieving, it’s acceptable to deface public property?

That chalk… Terrible stuff that is… Maybe you should go down to your local pre-school and stop the kiddie’s writing on the side walk…

Doesn’t look like chalk on the wall in the Canberra Times image.

Could you be anymore disrespectful?! These kids just lost just their brother! As for all their names starting with ‘M’ that has absolutely nothing to do with so why the f*** do you even care, their parents chose those names for a reason and also posting the link to Maddison’s profile how much more low can you get, seriously grow the f*** up and stop being so insensitive. Hundreds of people lost him not only as a friend but as a brother, nephew, grandson, son and cousin. How about you take a long hard look in the mirror and think about how you would feel if this had happened to you.

I’m wondering why you didn’t ask your questions of the people there? We are all strange creatures as teens but I find them very interesting to talk to. I bet if you had spoken with them they would have loved to have someone listen. Missed opportunity.

Tragic loss of life yes,

But the four kids in the family are named Mitchell, Michael, Maddison and Meg? GRRR *head desk*….almost as bad as the Palins

The simple answer is there are generally no appropriate or innapropriate places to hold wakes, particularly in this age. People who have lost someone they care for or respect, will greive for them in their own way and often some others (mostly outsiders) will question the manner in which these ‘memorials’ are conducted. However people choose to grieve for the loss of someone they care for, it is important they greive for them. We have national holidays to remember lives lost for one reason or another, there should be no obstacle in the way anyone honours their ‘mate’ if it is genuine as George # 14 points out.

That said, I do understand the topic of “roadside memorials” may rise from this thread (which I will maintain is a seperate issue) but please, don’t give that spanker “mully” a life after death here. He doesn’t deserve it.

These ‘events’ are really nothing more than an opportunity for some good old fashioned teen drama. Many teens (including myself many years ago) lose friends their own age for a variety of reasons. Dealing with it is part of growing up.

Getting together for a wake is one thing – making a big public spectacle another.

Mr Evil said :

So, if you’re grieving, it’s acceptable to deface public property?

That chalk… Terrible stuff that is… Maybe you should go down to your local pre-school and stop the kiddie’s writing on the side walk…

So, if you’re grieving, it’s acceptable to deface public property?

Fiona said :

Good set of ads there, Facebook…

http://littlelioness.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/michaelalexander.png :\

There’s 365 things to in Canberra?

As for teenagers hanging around the bus interchange the main reason I don’t understand is because it’s simply an unpleasant place to be. When I was teen we just had picnics, lots and lots of picnics.

But I guess I was a little harsh in my judgment, as soon as I saw the graffiti and “memorial” paraphernalia I assumed it another Mully type incident because of the stereotypes I have in my mind, but I can see that this an actual tragic incident. As for my bike no Lycra or basket but I do have panniers.

thy_dungeonman said :

call me old fashioned but it does seem a strange place for one

Totally agree, i dont think alot of young people understand how funerals/wakes work. Particularly creating “shrines” out of used/unused beer bottles & woodstock cans.

i think this points to an interesting issue:, where in society do we have space for teenagers? adults can go to pubs and clubs, young children have day care or are with their parents, but for teenagers… where do they go? they want to spend time with friends instead of family, but they dont have the money to go to restaurants or cafes or the movies all the time. teenagers are constantly being moved on! youth centres aren’t for everyone and dont have the resources for everyone, not all kids like skateboarding…. when teenagers go to parks or playgrounds people get pissed off at them for loitering….

so. i guess. a bus interchange is somewhere teens can hang out without mummy & daddy hovering over them, they can bump into each other and meet new people, they don’t have to spend money….

either way. terrible stuff, about this kid. so sad.

Why should any place be inappropriate for a wake? Surely the location for any kind of memorial observance should be chosen based on the person being remembered and mourned, and the particular group of mourners.

Anyone who thinks that there are particular places that are appropriate and others that aren’t is just a traditionalist.

thy_dungeonman said :

If they want to hold a wake at a bus interchange fine i’ll ride by and judge, call me old fashioned but it does seem a strange place for one

I’m not calling you old fashioned, just saying people deal with things differently.

They were probably judging you as you went past, cranky old man, waving his walking stick while he is riding past in his lycra on a bike with panniers on the sides and a basket with a flower on the front.

So I guess it’s fair, but maybe you should let them deal with their friends death how they see fit, they can’t go to a club or pub and have a wake or anything like that, this is how they did it.

Good set of ads there, Facebook…

http://littlelioness.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/michaelalexander.png :\

If they want to hold a wake at a bus interchange fine i’ll ride by and judge, call me old fashioned but it does seem a strange place for one

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/sorrow-sets-in-after-funloving-teenagers-tragic-swim/2087961.aspx

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1586505797#!/profile.php?id=1118188325&sk=wall

Umm given the time of it, I’m guessing it was most probably the young fella who drowned at Pine Island, but you’re right to judge, they do things differently to you, so they must have something wrong with them.