I
could launch into a rant about the dangers or drinking,
passive smoking, bar food or the like, but I choose not
to. Why not you ask? Because these issues pose no threat
when compared to the evil precedent set when people pretend
that they care about the sport being shown when they really
do not.
I
will start with a few observations of automotive mechanics.
That's right, you are still reading the same article that
you were a few lines ago. To truly understand this hidden
danger you must first be aware of motor mechanics. This
is a necessary trade that allows our cars to run properly.
But from the perspective of one who 1) knows nothing about
cars, and 2) seems to have been ripped off a few times
by the mechanics I've been to, I'm willing to identify
a few of the stereotypes.
Certainly there are many mechanics out there who are not
only very skilled, but also ethical, fair, and reasonably
priced. This article however does not deal with them (if
you are a fair mechanic you have no need to feel offended
by what follows). As with every profession, there are
a number of mechanics who earn their trade a bad name.
These dodgy operators may overcharge, they may never fix
the problem with your car, they keep fixing different
parts at massive cost, or they may "create" more problems
for your car.
I am somewhat bitter towards this trade. I will share
with you one of the many examples of why I feel this way.
It began with the simple need for a replacement starter
motor. When I picked up my car I discovered that ...by
unfortunate coincidence... my radiator just happened to
crack in half that very same day, and cost a few thousand
dollars to fix! Similar tales of woe are common, especially
for those who drive dated cars that seem to require fifteen
different repairs each time you bring it near a mechanic.
So why am I talking about mechanics? My point is that
you have to accept what mechanics tell you, because if
you knew anything about your car in the first place you
would know that you really only need to replace a fuse
rather than give the engine a complete overhaul. We face
these charlatans and they can easily lie to our faces
since we have no idea if the ...new slip spanner insert
valued at $500... really needs to be installed in the
steering wheel or not.
So back to the pub, this is where the hidden danger lurks
when we watch sport...
It's
the Super 12 final, and the Crusaders are facing the
Waratahs in a classic showdown. Many people are naturally
engrossed by the match, but others aren't. Now there
is nothing inherently evil about not caring about the
game and not watching it. My proposition is that it
is truly evil not to care about the match, but then
pretend to care and get all excited when Mat Rogers
bursts through for a try.
We've
all seen such people. They could be anyone, guys who
don't like sports, girls who are trying to impress the
guys who do like sports, people who are too drunk to
even see the big screen; my point is that these groups
will feign massive excitement about the match for no
reason at all. I do care about the footy, but am dumbfounded
when someone who appears bored to tears for the previous
forty minutes celebrates more exuberantly than me when
a penalty is kicked.
You may be wondering why I care. Surely people are entitled
to watch sport however they want. What about free speech?
Aren't my complaints seeking to inhibit this? I toss
these protests aside because it is in the interests
of us all that such phoney viewers be banned from watching
sport on the big screen.
It is stereotypically Australian to get excited by watching
our sporting teams challenge the world, but by accepting
the actions of these pretend fans of Australian sport
we are merely accepting and reinforcing this stereotype.
Furthermore, we inherently build up a tolerance to dishonest
actions that enables the stereotypically dishonest motor
mechanic to rip us off.
And that is why watching the footy at the pub can be
such a costly exercise. Next time you see people at
the pub giving high fives after a Wallaby win even though
they've done nothing but send text messages all game,
tell them about the danger that they are exposing everyone
to.
