Monday, March 07, 2005

More on the war on pests

Apart from rabbits there are a few possums coming through from the bush over the road to eat the roses... Possums we can do - no problems, had a lot of practice. Live trap, (not prepared to use a Timms trap with the cats - not only ours but the neighbours) caught possum gets shot or gassed from exhaust fumes... never nice killing anything but it works...

So today I ring the regional council to ask if they have a live trap to loan out. (was never a problem in Nelson).
So fifty questions -
why don't I use a Timms trap (cats)
why don't I get a local guy in who shoots them for the skins to shoot them (some nights there are three some nights there are none - doubt it is worth his time)
why don't I poison them (not happy with poisoned carcases lying round in places we don't know about),
how am I going to kill them (as above)
did I know there was a rabbit problem in the area (yes thanks had noticed)
did I want my rabbits poisoned for a small fee while they were working in the area (no thanks - as above re poisons and is giving the cat something to do)
did I know that if 'my' rabbits reinfested the cleared areas they could charge me for it (yeah right - first you prove they are mine, does the same apply to 'your' possums that are coming into our place? - apparently this little law is not applicable to government - that's nice isn't it...)

FGS - I just want to get rid of a few possums, the stated intention of local government is also to get rid of some possums, we're on the same side here, - can I please have a live trap!!!!!
Well can you collect it within 24 hours of being told it is available? (yes)
There is a deposit (fine)
You can have it for two weeks and then will have to return it (arghh, okay, you win, it's too hard, I don't care, I'll buy a trap, where do I get one?)

He said he would look up the name of the people that supply cage traps and ring me right back - that was this morning..... guess tomorrow I will have a go at finding one for myself.

I have this uneasy feeling I should never have given him my name and address....

#&$$*@ bureaucracy

1 comment:

wino said...

I think it was the stars in some peculiar alignment - sent everyone with a small amount of authority temporarily mad. I say this as husband had similar phone conversation with woman in appliance repairers, at just about exactly the same time, about the ceramic cooktop (the one that DH knelt on and broke when he foolishly decided to clean the kitchen window LOL) insurance claim - and no probs to the insurance company but appliance repairer chief-phone-answerer highly perturbed that instructions were (from insurance co) to replace it and had a dozen other options - like get a second hand one or maybe an ordinary electric cooktop or fit it ourselves to save money or since old one still works don't worry about it!.... More argghhhh - I mean what is so hard about "supply and fit new ceramic hobb of same size and make as old one - send account to insurance company".....

I'm highly diverted by the bizarreness of it all. Was it John Irving that wrote "the World according to Garp" and "the Hotel New Hampshire"? It's nothing like that at all *grin* but has a similar surreal feel to it...