Airline/airport /Govt levies,surcharges etc.

Its getting out of hand what additional charges are being put on top of a
ticket price nowadays.

Example
Qantas Adelaide to Sydney to London with stop off in Singapore on return
leg,
reaps the following which add up to $680 per person for the round trip on
top of the base fare.
All prices in $AUD

AU = AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER MOVEMENT CHARGE = $38.00
QK = SYDNEY AIRPORT NOISE TAX =
$3.00
QR = ADELAIDE PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $28.00
WG = INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY CHARGE = $3.00
WY = SYDNEY PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $43.00
GB = UK AIR PASSENGER DUTY =
$102.00
UB = UK INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS TAX = $37.00
SG = SINGAPORE AIRPORT DEPARTURE CHARGE = $18.00
YQ = FUEL LEVY
= $408.00
Total
Charges/levies/taxes = $680.00 per person

Not bad gouging by them all...love the Fuel levy...must pay for all fuel
that is used!

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:41:38 +1030, "John H"
wrote in
:

Its getting out of hand what additional charges are being put on top of a
ticket price nowadays.

Example
Qantas Adelaide to Sydney to London with stop off in Singapore on return
leg,
reaps the following which add up to $680 per person for the round trip on
top of the base fare.
All prices in $AUD

AU = AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER MOVEMENT CHARGE = $38.00
QK = SYDNEY AIRPORT NOISE TAX =
$3.00
QR = ADELAIDE PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $28.00
WG = INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY CHARGE = $3.00
WY = SYDNEY PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $43.00
GB = UK AIR PASSENGER DUTY =
$102.00
UB = UK INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS TAX = $37.00
SG = SINGAPORE AIRPORT DEPARTURE CHARGE = $18.00
YQ = FUEL LEVY
= $408.00
Total
Charges/levies/taxes = $680.00 per person

Not bad gouging by them all...love the Fuel levy...must pay for all fuel
that is used!

Thanks for the interesting post, John! I definitely agree with
you! Seems to be happening a lot these days, in many areas.

A couple of years ago became a bit annoyed at the "creative"
charges imposed by my local bank branch. Cash a cheque from
overseas? Make a minor error on a written cheque? Too many
"counter transactions", even checking to see if a particular
cheque had cleared, or confirmation of current balance?

Most are fairly minor charges, but they are annoying! So far
they haven't charged us for the postage cost of mailing out
a monthly statement, or the cost of the envelope, or whatever.
Perhaps they haven't thought of this yet! :-)

Still, at the time, wanting to be helpful as usual, made some
suggestions to the teller. After all, if they are determined to
gouge customers to the maximum possible extent, perhaps
they should consider the expenses involved when a customer
actually enters the bank.

It is air conditioned, so anyone coming in from outside lets in
some warm air, which causes an increased load on the air
conditioning system. Which causes "wear and tear" on the
air conditioning unit.

Then too, opening the door causes a bit of wear on the hinges.
Very slight, but scientifically measurable. Then there is the
wear on the floor covering by my shoes.

Or I might happen to have a cold at the moment, sneeze, and
infect the teller. Or say something that might offend him or
her.

The possibilities are almost endless, actually. As the readers
of this group have probably noted, I am seldom at a loss for
words.

Their were no other customers waiting, so I wasn't causing any
inconvenience to anyone else. Actually, in one sense, was doing
a favor to the bank employee. They could gain credit by
conveying my suggestions to their manager and suggesting even
more ways to take advantage of customers.

Even small amounts add up, after all. I finally concluded my
argument by pointing out that the bank could install a turnstile
at the entrance door that would require any customer entering the
bank to pay a mere five cents for entry.

Alternatively, since customers sometimes have to wait for other
customers to complete their transactions, perhaps the bank could
give each customer a free minute to complete their transaction
with a dollar surcharge for each additional minute.

Our time is valuable, after all. How many readers have had an
appointment with a doctor or dentist at a given time, say 10 A.M.
but spent much longer in the aptly named "waiting room"? Should
not we be compensated for this waiting time?

It takes me a bit of time to write this post. Someone may make
a lot of money from my proposals. I have no idea how many people
will eventually read it. Perhaps I should ask all readers to
send me 25 cents or so for reading it? :-)

Not a serious suggestion, of course. But who knows what might
happen in coming years? As you have pointed out, who would have
thought that airline companies would demand extra charges for
air transport?

Airlines used to provide excellent meals as a flight service.
Have read that they no longer provide metal forks, but plastic
ones.

However, AFIK, they still serve meals on plastic trays. These
too could be used as a potential weapon. Why not just run all
the food through a blender and serve it in plastic bags?

Passengers who insist on a plastic tray could be allowed same, if
they were willing to pay extra for one or two security guards to
watch them eat.

Of course, any passenger wearing clothing might have a concealed
weapon. The obvious solution would be to require all passengers
to travel naked. Although, to follow the present thought, they
could be allowed to cover themselves with a bed sheet, or even
actual clothing, if they were willing to pay extra charges for
this privilege.

Anyway, I've spent too much of my valuable time even writing this
post, and I have no idea if anyone will even bother to read it.
So will now close, and see if I get any replies.

Cheers,
Kangaroo16
Posting at 9:03 PM Tuesday 11 December on rec.travel.australia+nz

"kangaroo16" wrote in message
...

words words words.

Too long; didn't read.

Write shorter posts and people might read them. This is a discussion forum,
not a soapbox or speaker's corner.

Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:21:46 +0530, "grusl"
wrote in :


"kangaroo16" wrote in message
.. .

words words words.

Yep, that is how most humans communicate. Telepathic
communication would be better, but most of us cannot manage it.

Books are also composed of words. Some are long and complex.
Some people manage to read and understand them, though.

My posts are generally shorter than book length. When I started
elementary school at 5 years of age, the teacher seemed to assume
that I couldn't read. So the class was issued very basic
children's books with lots of pictures. The first page might
show a boy with the text "This is a boy". The next page might
say "His name is Dick". The third page might show a girl, and
say "This is a girl". Fourth page, same picture, "Her name is
Jane"

All very boring to me, as could read well above this level before
even started school. The basic first grade reader didn't even
get as far as "See Dick chase Jane"....let alone why.:-)


Too long; didn't read.

Your problem, not mine. I'm not trying to cater to a mass
audience, and flatly refuse to try to keep my posts short or
keep them simple.

Write shorter posts and people might read them.

This is the best offer you can make? That people "might" read
them? Hell, mate, they might not read them even if the total
text was "See Dick chase Jane".

Firstly, this is a travel group. However, were I in charge of
issuing travel visas, I'm not sure that I would even approve a
tourist visa for someone who couldn't manage to comprehend one of
my posts, even if it was translated into his native language.

Secondly, I really don't give a damn if anyone on the travel
group reads ANY of my posts. Am much more interested in
providing information to fellow immigrants.

Being that both these groups have so few posts, I would highly
recommend that both tourists and immigrants read both, as I
usually don't bother to cross post.

All countries have different hazards, and they aren't always
obvious. I once spent almost a year on S.E. Asia, and got along
fine without even bothering to check on "local hazards" I
considered most of them fairly obvious. I didn't drink unboiled
water, I didn't play with cobras, and so on.

Before this, when migrated to Australia, I knew enough to not
pick up cute little blue-ringed octopi from tidal pools. Not
that had ever heard of them, but I don't mess with unknown
animal species.

Actually, despite the fact that Australia had been settled for a
couple of hundred years, the first time that anyone even knew the
octopus was dangerous was long after this.

No problem to look it up for you, though.

"Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, comprising
11 ships and around 1,350 people, arrived at Botany Bay between
18 and 20 January 1788. However, this area was deemed to be
unsuitable for settlement and they moved north to Port Jackson on
26 January 1788, landing at Camp Cove, known as 'cadi' to the
Cadigal people."

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov....ralianhistory/

First recorded fatality from the octopus? 1954. Or around 176
years later. Perhaps people had more sense in those days?

--------------------------------------
Blue Ringed Octopus

Common name:
Blue Ringed Octopus

Scientific name:
Hapalochlaena maculosa

"First fatality occurred in 1954 when a person was bitten
and died in hospital only 2 hours later. "

http://www.oceanworld.com.au/factfile.asp?ID=7

--------------------------------------
How did it happen? An Aussie soldier picked up this cute little
octopus from a tide pool on a Sydney beach and put it on his arm
so his girlfriend could take a photo.

Now, personally, I don't like to see people die because they
didn't realise local hazards.

So, in earlier posts on both groups have mentioned this potential
hazard.

So, for the sake of argument, suppose you have followed both
groups and decided not to read my posts because they were
"too long"? Suppose you pick up a _Hapalochlaena maculosa_ and
die as a result?

Perhaps your last thought might be "I should have read his
posts".

If I read of your death, would I be particularly upset?

Not all that much, actually, as you chose not to read my warning
on this particular hazard. All I can do is choose to issue
warnings, I cannot force people to read them.

If you choose not to read my posts, your problem not mine.

This is a discussion forum,
not a soapbox or speaker's corner.

Our definitions of "discussion" may vary widely.

As have said before, in several posts, am much more interested in
advising fellow immigrants.

I'm not particularly interested in "tourists", especially since
they can easily read my posts on the "immigration" group.



Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

Haven't been there, George, most of my time in India was
in Calcutta and Puri.

Still, if you are there you obviously have fairly high
qualifications. Which makes me wonder why you are
apparently complaining at my relatively short posts.

Have you ever had your reading speed tested in words per minute?

If so, are you willing to post your score on this group?

Cheers,
Kangaroo16
Posting on rec.travel.australia+nz
1:51 AM Wednesday 12 December 2007

"kangaroo16" wrote in message
...

what did he say?

Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

On Dec 11, 9:13 am, "grusl" wrote:
"kangaroo16" wrote in message

...

what did he say?

Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

kangaroo16, not to be confused with I, kangaroo16a, does not believe
in keeping to any Charter/FAQ/Rationale of any Usenet newsgroup, nor
is he aware there is a Usenet FAQ which states the following:

4. Usenet is not a right.

Some people misunderstand their local right of "freedom of speech"
to mean that they have a legal right to use others' computers to
say what they wish in whatever way they wish, and the owners of
said computers have no right to stop them.

Those people are wrong. Freedom of speech also means freedom not
to speak. If I choose not to use my computer to aid your speech,
that is my right. Freedom of the press belongs to those who own
one.

kangaroo16a with a valid email address
not to be confused with
kangaroo16 who posts with a fake email address

On Dec 11, 2:04 am, kangaroo16 wrote:
On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:41:38 +1030, "John H"
wrote in
:

Its getting out of hand what additional charges are being put on top of a
ticket price nowadays.

Example
Qantas Adelaide to Sydney to London with stop off in Singapore on return
leg,
reaps the following which add up to $680 per person for the round trip on
top of the base fare.
All prices in $AUD

AU = AUSTRALIAN PASSENGER MOVEMENT CHARGE = $38.00
QK = SYDNEY AIRPORT NOISE TAX =
$3.00
QR = ADELAIDE PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $28.00
WG = INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY CHARGE = $3.00
WY = SYDNEY PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE = $43.00
GB = UK AIR PASSENGER DUTY =
$102.00
UB = UK INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS TAX = $37.00
SG = SINGAPORE AIRPORT DEPARTURE CHARGE = $18.00
YQ = FUEL LEVY
= $408.00
Total
Charges/levies/taxes = $680.00 per person

Not bad gouging by them all...love the Fuel levy...must pay for all fuel
that is used!

Thanks for the interesting post, John! I definitely agree with
you! Seems to be happening a lot these days, in many areas.

A couple of years ago became a bit annoyed at the "creative"
charges imposed by my local bank branch. Cash a cheque from
overseas? Make a minor error on a written cheque? Too many
"counter transactions", even checking to see if a particular
cheque had cleared, or confirmation of current balance?

Most are fairly minor charges, but they are annoying! So far
they haven't charged us for the postage cost of mailing out
a monthly statement, or the cost of the envelope, or whatever.
Perhaps they haven't thought of this yet! :-)

Still, at the time, wanting to be helpful as usual, made some
suggestions to the teller. After all, if they are determined to
gouge customers to the maximum possible extent, perhaps
they should consider the expenses involved when a customer
actually enters the bank.

It is air conditioned, so anyone coming in from outside lets in
some warm air, which causes an increased load on the air
conditioning system. Which causes "wear and tear" on the
air conditioning unit.

Then too, opening the door causes a bit of wear on the hinges.
Very slight, but scientifically measurable. Then there is the
wear on the floor covering by my shoes.

Or I might happen to have a cold at the moment, sneeze, and
infect the teller. Or say something that might offend him or
her.

The possibilities are almost endless, actually. As the readers
of this group have probably noted, I am seldom at a loss for
words.

Unfortunately!

Now what has this got to do with travel.australia+nz ??

Their were no other customers waiting, so I wasn't causing any
inconvenience to anyone else. Actually, in one sense, was doing
a

favor

And you have the cheek to call yourself an Australian?

to the bank employee. They could gain credit by
conveying my suggestions to their manager and suggesting even
more ways to take advantage of customers.

Even small amounts add up, after all. I finally concluded my
argument by pointing out that the bank could install a turnstile
at the entrance door that would require any customer entering the
bank to pay a mere five cents for entry.

Alternatively, since customers sometimes have to wait for other
customers to complete their transactions, perhaps the bank could
give each customer a free minute to complete their transaction
with a dollar surcharge for each additional minute.

Our time is valuable, after all. How many readers have had an
appointment with a doctor or dentist at a given time, say 10 A.M.
but spent much longer in the aptly named "waiting room"? Should
not we be compensated for this waiting time?

It takes me a bit of time to write this post. Someone may make
a lot of money from my proposals. I have no idea how many people
will eventually read it. Perhaps I should ask all readers to
send me 25 cents or so for reading it? :-)

Yawn.
Totally irrelevant to the newsgroup.

Not a serious suggestion, of course. But who knows what might
happen in coming years? As you have pointed out, who would have
thought that airline companies would demand extra charges for
air transport?

Airlines used to provide excellent meals as a flight service.
Have read that they no longer provide metal forks, but plastic
ones.

However, AFIK, they still serve meals on plastic trays. These
too could be used as a potential weapon. Why not just run all
the food through a blender and serve it in plastic bags?

Passengers who insist on a plastic tray could be allowed same, if
they were willing to pay extra for one or two security guards to
watch them eat.

Of course, any passenger wearing clothing might have a concealed
weapon. The obvious solution would be to require all passengers
to travel naked. Although, to follow the present thought, they
could be allowed to cover themselves with a bed sheet, or even
actual clothing, if they were willing to pay extra charges for
this privilege.

An even bigger yawn~

Anyway, I've spent too much of my valuable time even writing this
post, and I have no idea if anyone will even bother to read it.
So will now close, and see if I get any replies.

So you consider your time 'valuable'?
You must be the only one to do so.

Cheers,
Kangaroo16
Posting at 9:03 PM Tuesday 11 December on rec.travel.australia+nz- Hide quoted text -

Why the 'on rec.travel.australia+nz'?
If you are posting directly to the newsgroup, there is no need for
this!
Afterall it is not a 'forum'.

You do go on about nothing don't you!

kangaroo16a with a valid email address
not to be confused with
kangaoo16 with an invalid email address

On Dec 11, 6:54 am, kangaroo16 wrote:
On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:21:46 +0530, "grusl"
wrote in :



"kangaroo16" wrote in message
.. .

words words words.

Yep, that is how most humans communicate. Telepathic
communication would be better, but most of us cannot manage it.

Books are also composed of words. Some are long and complex.
Some people manage to read and understand them, though.

My posts are generally shorter than book length. When I started
elementary school at 5 years of age, the teacher seemed to assume
that I couldn't read. So the class was issued very basic
children's books with lots of pictures. The first page might
show a boy with the text "This is a boy". The next page might
say "His name is Dick". The third page might show a girl, and
say "This is a girl". Fourth page, same picture, "Her name is
Jane"

All very boring to me, as could read well above this level before
even started school. The basic first grade reader didn't even
get as far as "See Dick chase Jane"....let alone why.:-)

Not relevant to this newsgroup.

Too long; didn't read.

Your problem, not mine. I'm not trying to cater to a mass
audience, and flatly refuse to try to keep my posts short or
keep them simple.


Write shorter posts and people might read them.

This is the best offer you can make? That people "might" read
them? Hell, mate, they might not read them even if the total
text was "See Dick chase Jane".

Firstly, this is a travel group. However, were I in charge of
issuing travel visas, I'm not sure that I would even approve a
tourist visa for someone who couldn't manage to comprehend one of
my posts, even if it was translated into his native language.

Secondly, I really don't give a damn if anyone on the travel
group reads ANY of my posts. Am much more interested in
providing information to fellow immigrants.

So why bother posting here then?

Being that both these groups have so few posts, I would highly
recommend that both tourists and immigrants read both, as I
usually don't bother to cross post.

All countries have different hazards, and they aren't always
obvious. I once spent almost a year on S.E. Asia, and got along
fine without even bothering to check on "local hazards" I
considered most of them fairly obvious. I didn't drink unboiled
water, I didn't play with cobras, and so on.

Before this, when migrated to Australia, I knew enough to not
pick up cute little blue-ringed octopi from tidal pools. Not
that had ever heard of them, but I don't mess with unknown
animal species.

[lines snipped]

Now, personally, I don't like to see people die because they
didn't realise local hazards.

So, in earlier posts on both groups have mentioned this potential
hazard.

So, for the sake of argument, suppose you have followed both
groups and decided not to read my posts because they were
"too long"? Suppose you pick up a _Hapalochlaena maculosa_ and
die as a result?

Perhaps your last thought might be "I should have read his
posts".
If I read of your death, would I be particularly upset?

Not all that much, actually, as you chose not to read my warning
on this particular hazard. All I can do is choose to issue
warnings, I cannot force people to read them.
If you choose not to read my posts, your problem not mine.

So where were you when this newsgroup was formed?
Did you take participate in any of the protocol of it's formation?
If not, why not - keep in mind, you have stated you have been around
Usenet for
approximately 10 years!
Where have you been for the past years since this newsgroup was
formed?
And why now? [Just discovered Usenet newsgroups is most likely the
answer].


This is a discussion forum,
not a soapbox or speaker's corner.

Unfortunately because it is an unmoderated newsgroup, he thinks it is
personal
soapbox.

Our definitions of "discussion" may vary widely.

From the Usenet FAQ:
4. Usenet is not a right.

Some people misunderstand their local right of "freedom of speech"
to mean that they have a legal right to use others' computers to
say what they wish in whatever way they wish, and the owners of
said computers have no right to stop them.

Those people are wrong. Freedom of speech also means freedom not
to speak. If I choose not to use my computer to aid your speech,
that is my right. Freedom of the press belongs to those who own
one.


As have said before, in several posts, am much more interested in
advising fellow immigrants.

Registered agent are you?


I'm not particularly interested in "tourists", especially since
they can easily read my posts on the "immigration" group.

Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

Haven't been there, George, most of my time in India was
in Calcutta and Puri.

Who cares where you have been!


Still, if you are there you obviously have fairly high
qualifications. Which makes me wonder why you are
apparently complaining at my relatively short posts.

Short? Oh lordy lordy, pray spare us.

Have you ever had your reading speed tested in words per minute?

If so, are you willing to post your score on this group?

Cheers,
Kangaroo16
Posting on rec.travel.australia+nz
1:51 AM Wednesday 12 December 2007

kangaroo16a with a valid email address
not to be confused with
kangaroo16 who is too gutless to use a valid email address

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:54:00 GMT, kangaroo16
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:21:46 +0530, "grusl"
wrote in :


"kangaroo16" wrote in message
. ..

words words words.

Yep, that is how most humans communicate. Telepathic
communication would be better, but most of us cannot manage it.

Books are also composed of words. Some are long and complex.
Some people manage to read and understand them, though.

My posts are generally shorter than book length. When I started
elementary school at 5 years of age, the teacher seemed to assume
that I couldn't read. So the class was issued very basic
children's books with lots of pictures. The first page might
show a boy with the text "This is a boy". The next page might
say "His name is Dick". The third page might show a girl, and
say "This is a girl". Fourth page, same picture, "Her name is
Jane"

All very boring to me, as could read well above this level before
even started school. The basic first grade reader didn't even
get as far as "See Dick chase Jane"....let alone why.:-)


Too long; didn't read.

Your problem, not mine. I'm not trying to cater to a mass
audience, and flatly refuse to try to keep my posts short or
keep them simple.

Write shorter posts and people might read them.

This is the best offer you can make? That people "might" read
them? Hell, mate, they might not read them even if the total
text was "See Dick chase Jane".

Firstly, this is a travel group. However, were I in charge of
issuing travel visas, I'm not sure that I would even approve a
tourist visa for someone who couldn't manage to comprehend one of
my posts, even if it was translated into his native language.

Secondly, I really don't give a damn if anyone on the travel
group reads ANY of my posts. Am much more interested in
providing information to fellow immigrants.

Being that both these groups have so few posts, I would highly
recommend that both tourists and immigrants read both, as I
usually don't bother to cross post.

All countries have different hazards, and they aren't always
obvious. I once spent almost a year on S.E. Asia, and got along
fine without even bothering to check on "local hazards" I
considered most of them fairly obvious. I didn't drink unboiled
water, I didn't play with cobras, and so on.

Before this, when migrated to Australia, I knew enough to not
pick up cute little blue-ringed octopi from tidal pools. Not
that had ever heard of them, but I don't mess with unknown
animal species.

Actually, despite the fact that Australia had been settled for a
couple of hundred years, the first time that anyone even knew the
octopus was dangerous was long after this.

No problem to look it up for you, though.

"Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, comprising
11 ships and around 1,350 people, arrived at Botany Bay between
18 and 20 January 1788. However, this area was deemed to be
unsuitable for settlement and they moved north to Port Jackson on
26 January 1788, landing at Camp Cove, known as 'cadi' to the
Cadigal people."

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov....ralianhistory/

First recorded fatality from the octopus? 1954. Or around 176
years later. Perhaps people had more sense in those days?

--------------------------------------
Blue Ringed Octopus

Common name:
Blue Ringed Octopus

Scientific name:
Hapalochlaena maculosa

"First fatality occurred in 1954 when a person was bitten
and died in hospital only 2 hours later. "


Perhaps this is meant to read "First REPORTED fatality occurred in
1954..........

http://www.oceanworld.com.au/factfile.asp?ID=7

--------------------------------------
How did it happen? An Aussie soldier picked up this cute little
octopus from a tide pool on a Sydney beach and put it on his arm
so his girlfriend could take a photo.

Now, personally, I don't like to see people die because they
didn't realise local hazards.

So, in earlier posts on both groups have mentioned this potential
hazard.

So, for the sake of argument, suppose you have followed both
groups and decided not to read my posts because they were
"too long"? Suppose you pick up a _Hapalochlaena maculosa_ and
die as a result?

Perhaps your last thought might be "I should have read his
posts".

If I read of your death, would I be particularly upset?

Not all that much, actually, as you chose not to read my warning
on this particular hazard. All I can do is choose to issue
warnings, I cannot force people to read them.

If you choose not to read my posts, your problem not mine.

This is a discussion forum,
not a soapbox or speaker's corner.

Our definitions of "discussion" may vary widely.

As have said before, in several posts, am much more interested in
advising fellow immigrants.

I'm not particularly interested in "tourists", especially since
they can easily read my posts on the "immigration" group.



Cheers,
George W Russell
Bangalore

Haven't been there, George, most of my time in India was
in Calcutta and Puri.

Still, if you are there you obviously have fairly high
qualifications. Which makes me wonder why you are
apparently complaining at my relatively short posts.

Have you ever had your reading speed tested in words per minute?

If so, are you willing to post your score on this group?

Cheers,
Kangaroo16
Posting on rec.travel.australia+nz
1:51 AM Wednesday 12 December 2007

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:50:02 +0900, wrote in
:

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:54:00 GMT, kangaroo16
wrote:

[snip]

"First fatality occurred in 1954 when a person was bitten
and died in hospital only 2 hours later. "


Perhaps this is meant to read "First REPORTED fatality occurred in
1954..........

http://www.oceanworld.com.au/factfile.asp?ID=7

--------------------------------------

IMHO, I would assume that the author of the above website
was sticking to the usual practice of mentioning only verifiable
incidents.

There is no way of knowing, even in the last century, how many
people may have been alone when picked up a blue-ringed octopus,
were stung, staggered a few feet away and died from respiratory
paralysis. They may have been washed out to sea as the tide came
in and the body was never discovered.

We would know even less about how many indigenous Australians
were killed by the octopus.

Actually, an even better example of a poisonous creature is
the box jellyfish. If the victim doesn't get to shore he usually
drowns.

Box jellyfish
Class: Cubozoa, Genus: Chironex, Species:C. fleckeri

http://www.avru.org/compendium/biogs/A000042b.htm

Medicine, science, history, etc are constantly being revised.
When I was in high school in the late 50's, we were still being
taught the law of conservation of matter, that it could neither
be created or destroyed.

This "scientific law" had long been disproved, since 1945

Excerpt:
July 16 - U.S. explodes the world's first atomic bomb, the
Trinity test, at Alamogordo, New Mexico.
August 6 - Little Boy, an uranium bomb, was dropped on
Hiroshima, Japan. Between 80,000 - 140,000 people are killed.
August 9 - Fat Man, a plutonium bomb, was dropped on
Nagasaki, Japan. About 74,000 people are killed.
1946

http://www.atomicarchive.com/Timeline/Time1940.shtml

It would be interesting to know how many readers could answer
the following questions without looking them up.

1. Do we know why the earth's magnetic field reverses at
irregular intervals?
2. How many elements are there?
3. Do we know how gravity acts at a distance?
4. How many planets in our solar system?
5. The sun is a star. What size is it, compared to earth.
Roughly how far away is it?
6. What is the next nearest star, and its approximate distance.
roughly how far is it away.
7 Is the universe expanding at an increasing rate of speed?
8. In an atomic bomb, roughly how much mass is converted to
energy?
9. What is the current estimate on how many years it will be
until the arctic ice cap melts completely in summer?

Cheers,
Kangaroo16