Ryan Bridge: We shouldn't have to work for the government

Do you know what's really starts to rub me the wrong way? 

It's governments telling us to do more things. 

This morning, we've got the government coming out with yet another hotline.

Sounds fancy. Sounds efficient. 

It's a hotline to report road cones. A road cone tipline. 

Sorry, but if the problem is that there are too many road cones on the road, and they're unnecessary for the work being carried out —which half of them appear to be— then why do you need us to tell you that?

Surely if we just had better, clearer rules and less bullshit, we wouldn't need a road cone tipline. A pothole tipline. A 105 theft tipline. A beneficiary tipline.

Either you know what you're doing and you've got smart people and smart systems, or you don't. 

And every time I hear of another tipline I realise, they have no idea. 

Tiplines are the equivalent of a safety calming measure. Those weird speed bumps or narrowing roads, designed to make people feel better when driving around.

All they really do is piss people off and reveal how rubbish your road designs are to begin with. 

Just think about this: 

There's a bunch of road cones in a dumb place on a busy road. WorkSafe and NZTA and Council people drive past this busy spot every day. 

Barbara in her little Honda Civic, she drives past. She calls it in.

Barry in his truck and trailer. He calls it in.

Sally picks the kids up at 3pm from school every day. 

They all ring the tipline. They all report the same thing. It will then be somebody's job to sort through the tips. Somebody else will triage the tips. That's two jobs.

In three weeks, Barry, Sally, and Barb get a letter. Because the post only runs two days a week. 

The letter says we're looking into the issue for you. 

Meanwhile, 100 government or council people have walked or driven past the road cone Armageddon and nothing's changed. 

Tiplines are plasters over grenades.

The only time I want to ring a tipline is speak to the actual dump. 

In its first 156 days in office, the National-led government has set up 37 reviews, inquiries or advisory panels – some of which are being led by former ministers, including Bill English, Steven Joyce, Murray McCully and Roger Sowry.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you know what's really starting to rub me the
wrong way? And we'll come to the chateau in a second.
It's not that it's governments telling us to do more things.
This morning, we've got the government coming out with yet
another hotline, a tip line. It sounds fancy, sounds it
almost sounds efficient, doesn't it. It's a hotline to report
road cones, a road cone tip line. Sorry, but if

(00:22):
the problem is that there are too many road cones
on the road and there are necessary for the work
that's being carried out, which half of them appear to be,
then why do you need us to tell you that
this is the annoying part. Surely, if we just had better,
clearer rules and less bs, we wouldn't need a road

(00:42):
cone tip line, a pothole tip line, a one oh
five tip line, a beneficiary tip line. But when someone's
breaking the beneficiary rules, either you know what you're doing,
you've got smart people working for you, you've got smart systems,
or you don't. And every time I hear of another
tip plane, I realize they have no idea. Tip lines

(01:02):
are the equivalent of a safety calming measure in the traffic.
Those weird speed bumps or narrowing roads designed to make
people feel better when they're driving around. All they really
do is piss people off and reveal how rubbish the
road design was to begin with. Plus, just think about this. Really,

(01:23):
there's a bunch of road cones and a dumb place
on a busy road. We've all seen it, work safe
NZTA Council. They all drive past this busy spot every day.
Then you've got Barbera and a little Honda Civic. She
drives past it. She calls it and I'll call the
tip line. Barrie, he's in his truck and trailer. He
calls it, and I'll call the tip line. You're a
good citizen, Barry. And then Sally of course, pigs that

(01:45):
kids up from Score at three pm every day. She
calls them the tip line. They all ring the tip line.
They all report the same thing. It will then be
somebody's job to sort through the tips. Of course, you.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Know, barriees, we've got Barbera's, We've got Sally's what streets
dad or she called from the sandgor somebody else has
to triarge the tip line and the tips.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Remember, so there's two jobs. There are two people employed
in this already you see where I'm going with this.
In three weeks, Barry, Sally and Barb might get a
letter in the mail because the post only runs two
days a week. Now, remember the letter says we're looking
into this issue for you. Meanwhile, one hundred government or
council people have walked or driven past the road cone

(02:27):
Armageddon and nothing has changed. This is the problem with
tip lines, This is the problem with governments. This is
the problem with people who work for them, and we
shouldn't be one of them. For more from Early edition
with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks it be
from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.