YATALA, Australia -- Australia's hard-partying pub culture is beginning to show its softer side. Spurred by the unwanted and rowdy side effects that sometimes accompany a night on the town, drinking establishments have turned to a novel approach to save overindulging revelers from broken bones and bruised egos: rubber sidewalks. In a country desperate for solutions to curb rising alcohol-related crimes and injuries, the matting has come to be seen as a legitimate attempt to soften impacts from scuffles and stumbles. Sydney's bar bouncers are among the surface's fans. "Anything to do with safety, and this certainly qualifies, should seriously be looked at across the board."
I mean, in further evidence that Australia is the #1 place to live in the world...Our politicians are over here struggling with crushing debt, joblessness, and a bunch of smelly protestors just hanging out in public parks, while Australia's government is legislating safety precautions for drunks. The difference has never been clearer.
Here in America I'm pretty sure if a rash of people breaking their noses on concrete sidewalks was suddenly to come over bar dwellers we'd legislate like a 3 drink limit for each patron, pissing everyone off along the way...Australia, they see the problem and try to cut it off a the source, hard, unforgiving concrete sidewalks. I mean, I never realized it until just right now, but rubber sidewalks are something that I've wanted all my life. Imagine walking out of your local dive bar and not worrying about tripping and landing square on your nose? How much better would life be?
Damnit Australia, you've done it again...seriously, when is someone from the Australia Board of Tourism going to offer to fly me out for a week of pure fun?
