Thanks Ma, well said.

You are appreciated Ken. x o x o

Looks like I will have to change my forum name as well
Ken

-- Edited by ken thomas on Friday 23rd of December 2011 01:34:09 PM

Dunco, agree 100% BUT, as there always is, the same knockers start to grate after a while.

But Merry Xmas and don't have too jolly a time now will you.

Merry Xmas Ken.

With all due respect, if something is posted in good faith by someone who doesn't know it is a hoax, which could also encourage others to pass something on to their friends and family believing it to be so, and a member or members point out that it is a hoax, both for the original poster's and other members who may believe the article is true, I can't see what the problem is.

Why should we all be duped by the creatures who invented these false stories?

Sorry, but I will still point out that something is false if it is know to be so.

If that happens to something I post too well so be it and thanks to whoever points that out to me so I know the true facts.

That should not prevent anyone from posting something they believe to be true, but like others have pointed out, If you have any suspicions at all check it out on urban legends and hoax sites first.

PS:  I notice Ken copped a fair bit of flack for making the same post over on another forum, so can understand his sensitivity....

 

 

 

-- Edited by Vic on Friday 23rd of December 2011 04:15:07 PM

-- Edited by Vic on Friday 23rd of December 2011 05:10:00 PM

Firefly wrote:

---

Tell us by all means, watch your delivery, its only good manners, which most of our parents tried to instil into most of us. 

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 Yes, it's about manners but most importantly respect as well

No offence directed a Ken personally, for whom I have the greatest respect and I hope to meet one day in person.  

And I hope my comments were couched in such a way as to point this out without criticising him, but the authors of these false stories.  I apologise to Ken if I have offended him in anyway and certainly did not use the terminology pointed out by HW from elsewhere, either for Ken or HW (must admit it gave me a chuckle HW, but think I know whom you are referring too, not a member here).

A good positive that has come out of this thread as others have said is be very aware of you circumstances when travelling and elsewhere at all time.

At one time I was a casual taxi driver in a NSW country town which was surrounded by bush.   On the way back from a trip to a farm on a deserted gravel road I was flagged down by a young female by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, no vehicle to be seen. 

I cautiously slowed down and pulled up a bit further down the road and looking back saw a young bloke step out from behind some bushes with a rifle, I took off at a great rate of knots, not sure whether he fired at me or not but I wasn't waiting around to find out.  Did report to police but heard nothing further about it.   

 

 

-- Edited by Vic on Friday 23rd of December 2011 05:23:18 PM

Nothing more to see here people.  Move along now

 

 

The bottom line here folks is these warnings are posted with the best of intentions to "friends". Let's respect is as that, and stop this "cruci-fiction" of anyone who dares to speak up, no matter how innocently.
While it may be timely to mention "Snopes", it does not detract from the intention of the warning.
Whether we travel in company, in groups or alone, there is no need to take risks with personal safety.
If someone appears to be in trouble, stop, wind the window down, ask if there's anything you can do to get a message somewhere. If the response does not fit with you sense of well-being, drive away.
I have often been described as "brave", but I hope I'm never foolish.
The problem is there are ratbags out there who want to take what's yours because they're too lazy to earn their own. So we have to take care we are not their victims. Whether the scam is babies or broken cars, it's a SCAM, so just take care and use common sense and intuition. Most of the time if it looks wrong it is.
So Ken, please keep your name. We know who you are, and I for one like having you here. We may even meet one day.
Let's not knock our fellow nomads who care enough to warn their friends of potential pending danger.

Firefly wrote:

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Oh Vic, thats scary stuff, I bet you had all sorts of muscles in overdrive.

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 Definitely needed a change of undies, well, in theory anyway!! 

I advised people in an earlier thread to be wary of sensational stories. I suggested that they visit snopes.com and follow up any purported "news" story by consulting media outlets that are known to be trustworthy (eg MediaWatch). Unfortunately my warning didn't sit too well with certain forum members who mistook it as a personal attack on the messenger.

It seems that people, including myself, are too easily duped, especially when the message resonates with their own fears and prejudices. That's why it doesn't take much for a clever hoaxer or the tabloid media to beat up a non-issue.

I fear some idiot (with criminal intent) will read 'hoax stories' and try them out. Then those of us who have been told they are a hoax might get caught.

BTW, I know Im paranoid, but I just dont know if am I paranoid enough