Finding reason on a Bondi tram



This was published 3 months ago

Finding reason on a Bondi tram

The suggestion from Ted Richards that Australian judges invent a ‘person on the George Street tram’ (C8), as the local answer to ‘man on the Clapham omnibus’ is admirable but a little late, according to Janek Drevikovsky of Oxford (UK). “In NSW courtrooms, the paragon of reasonableness is ‘the man on the Bondi tram’ and has been for decades. Other antipodean variants include ‘the person on the Bourke Street tram’ and, in at least one case, the ‘citizen on the Emu Plains omnibus’.” A cursory search by Janek revealed that the Bondi tram first replaced the Clapham omnibus in a 1985 High Court case, some 20 years after the Bondi tram line was ripped up. The judge? None other than Sir William Deane, a very reasonable man who perhaps also knew the joys of riding the tram down to Bondi after Sydney University lectures in the 1950s.

Adrian Connelly of Springwood really hopes name shortening (C8) doesn’t catch on (C8). “Being known as ‘Ad Con’ wouldn’t do my reputation, credibility or ego much good at all.”

Roma Mcdonald of South Maroubra found an interesting part in the leaflet that came with her voting papers. “If deaf, ring a (given) number, then speak and listen.”

The paternal grandmother of Susan Bradley of Eltham (Vic) took WWI precocity (C8) over the top when she “signed up as a nurse in WWI at the age of 13. Her cover was blown while she was in France nursing the wounded, when a letter and birthday card arrived for her 14th birthday. She was promptly shipped back to the UK. We have a photo of her in uniform, and she looks convincing!”

From his rudimentary knowledge of Cantonese as a second-generation Australian-born Chinese, Edward Loong of Milsons Point understands that “the Cantonese equivalent of bald head ‘gwong tau’ translated literally is ‘shiny top’. Much more evocative than ‘chrome dome’ (C8).”

A letter from Norma Brown of Wagga Wagga (never apologise for utilising old-fashioned communications Norma, Column 8 loves receiving mail – Granny) asks who decides the terms for collections of animals: a parliament of owls, a murder of crows etc. “There was a question in a paper recently that asked ‘what term beginning with R is the term for a group of kookaburras?’ Kookas are solitary, territorial birds. One would be lucky to see three, at max, together. The answer was a riot. Why?”

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