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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 18, 2021 13:53:04 GMT
On the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, I entered a quite intense interchange (via PM) with a young Tasmanian when he posted on various sections of the West Europe branch questions about obtaining asylum because his life was becoming impossible and he was being persecuted by the authorities. This intrigued me (and not just me) because Australian persecution was hard to imagine. I never forgot this discussion, but I remember it intensely yesterday during the awards at the Cannes film festival. The rather weird American actor Caleb Landry Jones won the award for best actor for the film Nitram about the Port Arthur massacre. Poor Caleb was not even able to make a speech yesterday because he was so shocked that he just said "I think I'm going to throw up."
And this sent me back to Tasmania and my long discussions with Mark Smith (such a common name there is no reason to even try to mask it). He clearly had serious psychological problems and wanted to escape, but one of the reasons that he was under increased surveillance was because of Martin Bryant who had killed 35 people in 1996. The Tasmanian authorities clearly wanted to take no chances of another nutcase doing it again. And so this guy wanted to escape because he could not stand life in Tasmania anymore.
I ended up saving quite a few of his messages because I felt they were important. I did not save my own messages although I probably should have done so.
It seemed to start with a relatively simple dilemma, but not for long.
Date Posted: Sat January 14, 2006 4:06 AMam
Hi, in my asylum post, you were talking about people "not deported but not accepted." getting a lot of assistance from the government. How would these people have gotten into france in the first place? Do they apply for asylum and then not turn up to their hearing, or do they come on a tourist visa? I would not be able to come on a visa, because it will take all my money just to get to France - I'd be screwed if I was asked for proof of funds.
Date Posted: Sat January 14, 2006 6:02 PMpm
As far as I know, you need a national ID card from a Schengen country to cross the border/borders. If I was to seek asylum in Holland, would I recieve one of these cards? Not sure if I've stated it before, but I'm an Australian, and the last time I checked, we need visas to enter France. Even if I went to France for "tourism", I'm pretty sure that, applying for a visa, I would need proof of funds - which I simply wouldn't have once arriving. Please tell me what you think about the above - you really know what you're talking about with this subject.
Date Posted: Sat January 14, 2006 9:25 PMpm
I understand that return flights are often cheaper than one way flights, but I haven't found any in the low season, and (part of the reason I am seeking asylum/getting the hell out of here) is that the money for the ticket can be taken from me at any time by the government - this is money I've saved, nothing illegal - so I really have to act quickly. I've found out that Aussies don't need a visa for France, but it's stated on our immigration dept page that you need a return ticket - I don't know if they're just blowing the PC trumpet that you were talking about, or if someone without a visa, from a "trusted" country reall does need a return ticket. What you're talking about sounds great, as my mother (I'm 22 by the way) will not be able to tell the government what to do about my affairs, and it will probably show her that I'm willing to put myself at great risk (she'd see it like that, anyway) to have a normal life, and not live off of the welfare system for the rest of my life, like she wants me to. Below is a letter I've sent to Amnesty International, and first, I'll give you a side-note: I can't go to the Australian government about what the state government is doing to me - they have given the states the power to make up a lot of their own laws, including the one I,m being persecuted under, and in fact a federal govt social worker, trying to help me last year, was in tears because there is nothing even the highest court in the country can do. Anyway, here's the letter:
To Whom it may concern at Amnesty Tasmania
Please advise if you are able to assist me or give me advice on the following matter.
In 1997, my mother had me diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, despite the fact that I was not even present during the diagnosis. Since then, my mother has manipulated government and non-government departments to have me living in a way which she sees that I should be. I moved out of home in 2000, with an ex-lawyer - my mother saw that this would hinder her future plans for me, so she instructed my father to take any steps nessacery to stop me from moving out. My father severely beat me, until he saw that my lawyer friend was a witness, when he soon stopped. My lawyer friend asked if I wanted to go to the police - I was so much in shock that I didn't reply, and he told me that I would never have to see my parents again.
I lived with my lawyer friend until 2003. He greatly improved my life - my mother saw my path in life as to live in public housing, and be on a disability pension for the rest of my life. In april 2003, my lawyer friend had a massive stroke, and was unable to return to our rental property. I tried to get another tenant in to help pay the rent, but my mother rang the landlord, stating that she had my permission to terminate the lease. She also stole the rent reciept book from me, so I could not even pay the landlord part of the rent. I demanded the book back, as she had no right to rental reciepts that were not related to her. Overnight, she stole them from my bag. I was evicted from the rental, and returned home in November 2003.
I stayed at home for 6 months - tensions grew between my mother and I, for example, I needed to have the door shut to my bedroom, so I could stay asleep (I have chronic insomnia) but my mother has several phobias - one being that if a door is shut to a room, recipe books inside that room would be destroyed. This alone caused great conflict. When I tried to move my bed to another room without recipe books, my mother acted as if I had killed somebody. I had a severe anxiety attack, and the ambulance officers that attended pleaded with my mother that I be allowed to have my bed remain where it was, at least for the time being. She agreed, but the moment the ambulance officers were out of sight, she said "that bed is going back right away".
In June 2004, I was using my computer at night, when the volume from the speakers rose suddenly. My mother was screaming at the door of this room, and hitting it. I opened the door, probably with the look on my face that would say "what on earth is the problem?" and she ran backwards, and fell. She then yelled "HE PUSHED ME, CALL THE POLICE" which I was not suprised by, seeing my mother wanted me out of there ASAP. The police attended, and I was questioned, but not arrested, charged or convicted of this allegation - presumably because it did not happen, and my mother could not back up this claim in a court. I understand that the staff member reading this e-mail could be female, but I ask that you consider the fact that I was not taken into police custody over the matter - which would be standard if a person feared for their safety.
3 weeks later, armed police burst into my bedroom, and told me that if I didn't come with them, I would be "locked up in hospital". I was taken to a public housing unit, and was told that my affairs would be controlled by the public trustee, if there was sufficient evidence in a hearing in 2 weeks time. My lawyer told me that I should attend the hearing, and requested an adjournment if what the public trustee board proposed was "too serious". I attended the hearing, and soon had more than a hint that the verdict of this trial was decided upon before it even begun. The public trustee has disability services and my father on their side, and I had my disability advocate on my side (though I believe she thought the following was the best thing for me). Disability services presented the people holding the hearing with unpaid bills, including the 2003 rent owing - I believe the rest of the bills to be forged by my mother. My advocate suggested that I use Centrepay to have my rent, power and phone bills deducted from my pension, but disability services replied with "we believe that he would cancel these" when I had not even been given the chance to try this method! Soon after, I requested an adjournment (as i mentioned above) which was completely ignored, and I was told my finances would be under the control of the public trustee for 3 years.
This greatly affected me - I could not handle the fact that my life had been so completely taken over - when I was living at home, my mother made threats along the lines of "decisions will be made above your control" which were so ambiguous that I had no idea what they meant. My parents also treat trying to save money as a crime, but they do not apply this "rule" to themselves. I am constantly accused of "having money" as if it is a crime. Anyway, in august, after having numerous nightmares, I moved to sydney to try and start a new life. I made it clear to the public trustee that I never intended to return to tasmania. I secured rental in a room of a house for $80 a week. I could not affoard to both eat and pay the rent, as the public trustee refused to cancel my rent in tasmania, even though it was obvious that I intended to never return. I saw numerous lawyers in Sydney, all of whom said that it was Tasmanian law, and there was nothing that they could do. I sought advice from Peter Knowl, a social worker at Centrelink Rockdale, who had several conversations with the public trustee, who still refused to cancel my rent in tasmania. The social worker was in tears because he could not find any way to help me.
Since I could not affoard to rent and buy food, I spent a month sleeping at the airport, and 2 months sleeping on trains. Police in Sydney are very tolerant to homeless people on trains, due to the large homeless problem there. Doing this worn me out like I have never been before, and I returned to tasmania after 4 months in sydney. It has now been 18 months since the public trustee order, and my physical and mental health has declined significantly. My doctor has put me on 3mg or rohypnol, which is three times the dose required to put a "normal" person to sleep for 24 hours, combined with 6 other sleeping tablets. This does, eventually, allow me to get sleep, but does not take away the nightmares of what was done to me and the fact that I am an australian citizen, yet I do not have freedom of movement in my own country. I believe the public trustee and disability services are infringing on my human rights. I just want to move to a state with more job opportunities, and get off the pension. There is nothing stopping me from working, but even then, I am technicly not "allowed" to work - my mother continually says "if it doesn't work out, you will lose your pension!" as if I am doomed to failure.
I do not have a disability, apart from chronic insomnia. I am housed in a disability unit, against my will, which should be available to those in the community who really need it - people in wheelchairs, etc. My mother has, on many occassiaons, attempted to force me to use carers, because she believes I am unable to look after myself. The fact is, I am so demoralised by my circumstance, that I have no will to look after myself, and where I have been placed is nowhere near a supermarket or any takeaway stores. Not being within walking distance to food is not reason to have a carer. My mother is attempting to abuse the system, and denying carers to people that NEED them.
I have had offers from a Muslim community in another state, that are horrified by the way I have been treated, who are willing to help me gain housing and other assistance. I do believe in many of the teachings of Islam, however I feel I would have a concience by "using" these people to house me. I am also do not know these people in person, and I would be walking into a situation I know nothing of.
I ask your advice about who I could draw my attention to in this matter - my disability advocate has warned me not to go to the media, because the public trustee would "crack down" on me, and the media are fined $5,000 for publishing a story regarding someone on a public trustee order. This is surely a restriction of freedom of speech and freedom of the press - which I believe is guaranteed in Australia. Please advise if you are able to assist me, have any ideas on who I should seek assistance from, if you need any clarification in anything I have said, or what I could do myself in this situation.
P.S: (not part of the letter):A year before I was diagnosed with this condition, a man with the same condition killed 35 people in our state in one day - it shocked the country, and affected everyone in the state - we only have 3 murders a year. I think the government gave a very knee-jerk reaction to my case because of this "disability" and are afraid I could cause another incident like this if I wasn't properly "looked after".
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 18, 2021 13:56:27 GMT
More to come if anybody is interested...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 18, 2021 14:09:05 GMT
Okay, here is a bit more before it starts getting weird. Date Posted: Sun January 15, 2006 8:10 PMpm
Thanks for reading my entire post. I just figured out a way around "return ticket/proof of funds" - present my VISA card. Unless the authorities make me attempt a purchase, then they won't know it's only a debit card with screw all on it. A friend has told me that a amsterdam-london ticket can be had for about 60 euros - the only problem is actually buying it before I leave.
I do have some financial backing, despite the problems I've highlighted in my last message - around 50 euros a week. This did me fine, food-wise, when I was sleeping in Sydney intl airport, and going about my business of a day. Sleeping in airports seems the way to go for someone arriving from another country with little/no money, at least initially - but it doesn't exactly allow you to keep a low profile. To present myself well enough to get passed by from the authorities, I'm going to have to get some form of better clothing, atm, the best i have is a shirt and jeans I no longer fit in. Right now I'm wearing trackpants and a sweater. Paying $100+ for a suit would really impede my getting out of here - any ideas for clothing to get by immigration?
Also, despite the fact that I don't quite fit into the five categories of persecution under the U.N asylum charter, I have found the following little gem on France Terre d'Asile's website:
"Although not answering the definition of the refugee given by the Convention of Geneva, you risk to be tortured or exposed to treatments inhuman or degrading in the event of return in your country. It is about subsidiary protection (in the past called "territorial asylum"); You are persecuted in your country because of your action in favour of freedom. It is about constitutional asylum also leading to the delivery of the statute of refugee."
Thanks to google's translation service, translated link
No translation is perfect, but to me, it sounds like even if I don't fit the five "persecution" rules, I could be deemed a genuine asylum seeker under the inhuman or degrading section - still doesn't exactly sound like my situation, but certainly gives me a better chance than the "persecution" rules. Of particular interest is "You are persecuted in your country because of your action in favour of freedom." - I'm not allowed to move without government permission - the translation is a bit sketchy, but I really think that part fits me the best.
I still want to end up in Amsterdam, as I think, if I did have to claim asylum, I would have more luck there - however there isn't anything stopping me from hopping over to France. Please tell me what you think, and if I hit dire straits, would an Amsterdam-Paris hitch-hike be dangerous? I understand you're in no position to make any suggestions outside of personal opinions. Date Posted: Sun January 15, 2006 8:27 PMpm
One more thing regarding documents - My lawyer asked for the transcript of the trial proceeding but it had "disappeared". Hmm... I sure wish I had that, as there would be a record of my "disability service provider" not giving me the option to voulontarily deduct rent etc payments from my bank account, because "he could just cancel them". Also at the end was the finalising of the trial without my request for adjournment (as suggested by my lawyer) even being considered. At the moment, the only docs I have are my notice to appear in court and medical history/diagnosis - which my mother would be only too happy to provide - "he has finally accepted his condition!" Police records of my removal, and any actions taken by the public trustee would come in very handy, but the former would likely have been long erased, and the latter would be unavailable to me - despite being about me, I bet they wouldn't like me seeing their own notes about me, much less having a copy.
Date Posted: Mon January 16, 2006 1:06 PMpm
I'm not sure how you see my case as "medical" asylum - sure, my treatment is causing my health to decline, but the actual reason for asylum is the treatmenof me by the government based on a medical diagnosis that arguably wasn't properly performed. As for these "missing" documents, the best I can think of saying is that they were unavailable when I requested them, but whoever is overseeing my case is more than welcome to obtain them. When you mention a French "carte de séjour", what exactly is it? I'm assuming that its something or some way my case can be appealed by another branch of government, as you say, the Netherlands may be centralised so that one "no" from an official or court could apply to the entire country. Would I be mistaken in thinking that my arrival in the Netherlands would cast less suspicion than in France? I know that I'm basicly set on a one way ticket and aus passport, but if the Netherlands are a little less thorough in their immigration checks, it gives me a little more of a chance of getting into Europe, despite the fact that I shouldn't have any problems anyway. After your advice, the only case I would seek asylum in the netherlands is in the event of being questioned about my one way ticket, and the "taking the eurotunnel" excuse doesn't work - or an unsucsessful application in France. Two more questions:
You seem to be pretty in tune with your friends in France, and may have an idea of costs. Is it possible to purchase 2-3 takeaway meals each day for 50 euros a week? I've always found that in Sydney, its far easier to get free shelter than free food.
Are there any "hang-outs" that homeless people congregate safely, at least those that aren't seeking assistance?
Sorry about the extensive questions and messages, but you may be surprised at this stage that this is the first time out of my own country - going to another country for the first time is nerve-wracking in itself, let alone arriving on a one way ticket and putting your fate in the hands of strangers If I was held up, had deportation threataned, or an asylum request rejected, I would likely have a panic attack (which is on my medical history - couldn't be accused of making it up). Thanks for all the advice, the only other two people to message me has been one person that is convinced that I need to see a shrink, and put my fate in the hands of my "loving mother", and another guy who thinks I am going to the U.S, despite what I say - from what I hear, not a good destination for asylum seekers at present
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Post by questa on Jul 22, 2021 3:36:10 GMT
Oh K2, you do get yourself into weird situations. Tassie is famous for 2 things...Tassie Devils and crazy people. The latter has much to do with 100 years of inbreeding...(Definition of a virgin...a girl who can run faster than her brother)The standing meme is Tasmanians have 2 heads and mentally it is true. I won't get into the whole scene but will PM you some pieces of info.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 22, 2021 4:52:13 GMT
Date Posted: Mon January 16, 2006 4:49 PMpm
No offence taken at all. I just didn't see what you were getting at when you said medical asylum. Food-wise, chinese and mcdonalds is what I'm eating atm anyway, as I simply can't affoard anything else. Probably the biggest problem I face is getting into the pace of the workforce - due to the way I've been raised, and since been treated, I've never applied for a job or worked, it may take a fair bit of getting used to. Then again, if its important enough, such as keeping an appointment with that federal govt social worker, I'm there on time or early. As for never being out of the country, if I was ever homesick, my current "home" has me placed on life support - cable t.v, sleeping tablets, anything that temporarily shields me from the fact that I'm here against my will. If you're talking about my surroundings in general, I don't have close ties with anyone in this state, and the whole state is a bit of a basket case - highest poverty rate, highest prescription rate of anti-depressants, and a lot of desperate people. It's safe to walk down most main streets in Sydney at midnight/3am, but in our capital, you wouldn't dare. Also, our state is unique with its public housing policy - basicly entire suburbs of public housing were built, and it was soon found that people in unfortunate circumstances living closely with one another didn't work out. I think the idea was tried in the U.S 50 years ago, and didn't work out, but we still tried it. I'm extremely fortunate to be in "disability housing" in a neighbourhood 1km from the city centre, lots of retirees and "old money" people here.
In short, I have little to be homesick about, and living in another country might just give this public trustee such a kick in the pants that they realise I'm not in need of their services - if worst comes to worst, I imagine I could overstay my 90 days, and get deported (at my own expense). One other thing - when you mention France being the most easy country to get into for westerners, I take it their attitude on the same westerners working illegaly is a little different? Additionaly, in my case, the residency permit requires me to seek asylum? Accoarding to this I can recieve my pension in most European countries, but unfortunately not in France. That was another reason I was thinking about the Netherlands - the fact that they have an established agreement with Australia regarding pensions, and I wouldn't be completely taking advantage of their welfare system, may work very much in my favour - I may even be able to be treated as a migrant, and not an asylum seeker, assuming that the latter is much more of a burden on their economy. It would be interesting to see how a state law controlling an Australian pension would apply when that person has effectively moved to another country with that agreement - any thoughts?
Date Posted: Mon January 16, 2006 5:24 PMpm
Oh, about what you were saying about the homeless shelters in France - I slept on intercity trains in Sydney, basicly anyone could have done anything they wanted to me while i was asleep for 8 hours, but after a while I got that thought out of my mind. Lit carriages, but you could almost lay down, just having your legs bent to rest on the opposite seat. A lot of homeless people would use them, but I would get trains departing at 3-4am, due to my sleeping patterns. I would get there at about 2am, as I couldn't get to sleep while the train was moving, and police would ocasionaly wake you up to check tickets, and ask you to keep your feet of the seat "at least until my back is turned". I felt they were a safer alternative to shelters, though I've never been in one, and definately safer than sleeping in the street. My 3 week stint at the airport was great - I would get the first train to the airport, the normal charges for entering the airport station is about 6 euros, but at 5am, nobody was around, and the gates were left open. Upstairs was a section where I assume people would watch flights take off, though people rarely did. I got breakfast, surfed the net on a free terminal, bunked down at 6-8am, and woke up 8-10 hours later. The seats weren't exactly luxury, but they were fairly well padded and had no armrests. It was only after 3 weeks that security woke me up, said that they had noticed me there for weeks, asked me where i was from, what i was doing, and said i had to leave. That's in an airport that opens 5am-11pm - you would likely never be noticed in Europe's larger airports. The intl. terminal was much better than domestic - no seats there, and at the observation deck, where i was sleeping, the "mind your bags" etc. notices were easily ignored.
With my pension card, you could travel anywhere in sydney and surrounding areas for about a euro a day, and once I travelled 1,000km after a rather long sleep (there are 4 intercity lines going about 150km in each direction). As far as I know, there are no commuter/intercity trains in paris that would be this affoardable, or would run for as long a distance. It seems they would more likely be true intercity trains, with meal service and reserved seats only. That's my experience with being homeless - apart from making Charles de Gaulle my home, I doubt I could have as much comfort or safety in Paris. How bad are these homeless shelters you've heard about, does it sound like I would have a hard time finding a "cheap sleep" like the one above in paris, and have your ex-pat friends found anything similar?
Date Posted: Mon January 16, 2006 11:54 PMpm
Free municipal baths, and riding the metro to get some sleep - sounds alright to me! Of course, I have a doctor's letter listing all medications, though actually maintaining a supply of them might be a problem - I've never been able to sleep without sleeping tablets on a train. The strength of my dose worries doctors a bit too - it takes 3 times the usual dose to knock me out for some reason. But a doctor certifying that your need that dose is better than nothing. It's also interesting that the quantity of the "same kind" of refugees has desensitised the population to their cause - an aussie refugee might just raise a few more eyebrows than the average refugee. The only problem with my reciprocal pension agreement is that my state still controls it, despite it being paid at the national level - I really would like to see them keeping their hands on the pension when I'm on the other side of the world and intend to establish myself there. (The federal social worker told them this, I imagine that an immigration official would similarly tell them that - after all, they don't want their taxes to pay for my free ride). I think I'm all out of questions - its obvious that I have to get into the schnegen zone, possibly working illegaly, with the risks involved - and if other homeless people ride the metro to sleep, that's what I might have to do, after all it worked in Sydney, and I'd have nothing worth stealing - uh oh, i feel a question coming on: how is Paris considered in the way of crime rates? All the LP guidebooks seem to compare most destinations as "be slightly more vigiland than you would in a major european city" or "they are about the same as a major european city" - not much help to an aussie! Also, if you're up for a funny read, have a look at someone's response to my Amnesty letter - he/she (calls me "dear") seems to think any conflict with my mother can be magicly resolved, and that I "have to accept my illness" - he must be more of a psychic than that other shrink, he's diagnosing me from israel! He's the only person out of 4 that have read that letter to react like this:
Well irvstovnick........ It is time to concentrate in yourself and 'loosen' the tie with your mother.You say that your mother controls your life which can be true,but you must understand that YOU AND ONLY YOU allow her to control you !!!! So both of you are to be 'blamed' in the current situation. That is,You are also a CAUSE of this situation of being controlled.It may sound as a paradox, but it is true irvstovnick ! yes,it is true. Remember that a tango has two dancers !!!! It seems to me that you are so concentrated in your parents' 'lies' .Forget your parents,concentrate in your life and try to help yourself.Remember,whatever your mother tells,I am not pretty sure she can trick a psychologist A psychologist will reach his conclusions based on his own self-discretion .He is a learnt and intelligent person.Your mother can tell one thousand lies or maybe two thousands but she can't fool experienced professional people (On condition that she tells lies). Why do you think your parents want to lie about you ? Don't they want you to be a happy person ? Don't you think they love you ? Once again,irvstovnick,I don't know your parents,I don't know your true situation.I read your message and you wrote there that you are more than willing to take professional help,but..............once again ! YOUR MOTHER.She will call on the phone and tell one thousand lies about you and everyone but everyone will believe her fantastic lies.So that is the reason (or may I say,excuse) why you don't seek for professional help.Is the above mentioned paradox clear now ? you allow your mother to control you as much as she wants. Now listen to me irvstovnick,you told me that you slept in trains,airports and so on.It doesn't sound good to me.In fact it sounds very bad. Once again I insist that you should meet a psychologist.Maybe you need to have a psychiatrist as well.You will be examined.Now irvstovnick,doctors may reach whatever conclusions they reach.If you are mentally ill having the syndrome we were talking about (Aspergers' Syndrome) you will be cured.Doctors are to decide whether you are ill or not .If you are ill ,my dear (I don't say you are,just giving a possibility),there is nothing to be ashamed of.You are not a thief,you are not a murderer,you are not a criminal.I don't say you can be proud of it either,but it was not your free choice ! Accept it ! Tell yourself I'm ill and I want to get cured! Admitting to yourself is a great step forward !(Once again I don't know if you are ill ,it's only a possibility ).Anyway,a person in your situation should look for such help! Promise me you will do this !And..............write to me again !
Date Posted: Tue January 17, 2006 5:52 PMpm
It is very unfortunate that you're in a situation where you have to do the best for someone you love, despite it causing them great pain. I've seen my lawyer friend go from witty and intelligent to near vegetable before by eyes, and he isn't even related. I hope the experience thats awaits you is as painless as possible.
Basicly, my mother started to think something was wrong when I hit my early teens. I wasn't wild at school, in fact, I was the one to be bullied, the major "alarm" for my mother was likely that I wasn't socialising well at school. My parents live in a fairly deprived part of town, and the high school I went to actually takes all the people that are expelled from the worst high school in the state - 12 year olds planning to rob the school office, arsonists, etc. I didn't find many people there that had ever read a good book or used a computer to do anything but look at porn. The school, not wanting to out-and-out say it was nothing less than your average school, told my parents that while my grades were good, for some reason I didn't have many friends. At the end of year 10 (years 11 and 12 in this state are taken at a seperate institution, a "college"). I found this wonderful thing called the internet. It was the holidays, I didn't know anyone in my area (indeed, my mother has said it was a shame their wasn't people my own age) so I'd check out this great new thing called the internet. Sometimes I would be going to bed when they were just getting up. That didn't go down too well at all. My mother locked out the phone, which caused probably more arguments than a "normal" teen would have with their parents. Plus, my parents didn't promote my trying to get a driver's licence (my brother did, and was even allowed to practice using one of my parent's 5 old cars, something that has been out of the question until this day) so I was around them 24/7.
I think when my mother put all of this together, it only reinforced her idea that I had this syndrome. My lawyer friend allowed me to use his internet access, but my mother was very much opposed to this - she is extremely afraid of either a)anything not pre-paid b)paying a bill the day after it's arrived in the letterbox. This was a bit frustrating. The holidays ended, and I started year 11 in the local area. Someone I know, who my parents are eager to call "my friend" because he has this asperger's (I just see him because he's really off the wall, says phrases like "the sooner we destroy the money system, the sooner something better can take its place", shakes his body to repetitive tones in music, has a collection of 8,000 light globes, has a sample of all the non-dangerous elements of the periodic table) commented that when he took year 11 and 12, it was great, the troublemakers dropped out of year 10, and people in year 11 and 12 there were only people that wanted to learn, whereas when the state government adopted a new law to make it mandatory for people to take year 11 and 12, all the idiots went to college just because the government gave them money, and made life hell for everyone else, his former teacher couldn't believe how much things has gone downhill. I had things happen at this college like strangers push me into walls for no reason, knives waved in front of my face, and generally everything else I had experienced in high school. Teachers were supportive about having the students doing this kicked out, but there had to be witnesses (and nobody wanted to be one) and they didn't want to cop it from the government that these kids, who have to have an extra 2 years education, are being suspended.
In short, things didn't go too well for me at school, and being surrounded, by the most part, by people that treated it as a holiday/training ground for their criminal adult life, didn't help. My lawyer friend got me away from the situation about 2 years after all this college stuff started. He believed that, because of my experience, I shouldn't have to pay any rent, and he got in debt at his first rental. He initially had a few problems with me adjusting to the change from being in the bad area of town, to the best, and all the social implications that come along with it. But I soon embraced my new opportunity of being safe from harm. We rented a rather swanky house for the next 18 months, and, when the landlords for that place wanted to put the rental price up by 50% (the city was experiencing a property boom at about this time) we moved into another house, which was still in the "good" part of town, but was still fairly close to the bullies and such. That's when I had my first panic attack.
I don't like putting labels on people, but my lawyer friend allegedly had bipolar disorder, which might explain him not allowing me to pay rent, generally considering my well-being at all times, and being a bit lax at paying bills (which is pretty easy to do, when you're paying 90% of your income towards rent). In this new house, about 3 months after we moved in, he had a stroke (he had 3 heart attacks since I lived with him - more on that later) and we became on debt with the rent there, as my mother would visit him every day and put the idea in his head that he could never come back there, and I was trying to get another tenant in. This is around the time she had the lease canceled from under my nose. 2 bills, both partly in my name, which my mother argued to the public trustee hearing that I didn't contribute towards because "He didn't see why he should". She has sucessfully rgued that I even don't know right from wrong due to this condition. About my friend's heart attacks - he was the top lawyer in the state at one stage, he was getting all the business in town, and his three major competitors decided to have him taken down a notch "tall poppy syndrome". I forget how exactly they did this, I haven't seen my friend in a couple of years now, but it involved having him struck off with the law society and the cancelling of his law licence. He would get chest pains if he saw any of his competitors, after this, around town.
About my insomnia/panic attacks - I've never been able to sleep a full 8 hours at night, when I moved in with my uncle, I tried sleeping of a day, and I could actually concentrate and do things when I woke up. I've stuck to doing that. Panic attacks - these mainly started after my friend had a stroke, and my mother tried to fill my head of ideas of how great it would be for a third party to take care of all of my bills, and live by myself. Not many people my age that I know live by themselves. Going back to live with them also caused a great deal of anxiety.
How my mother put forward a case that I needed someone to control my finances - drawing upon every aspergers syndrome that's known, and having "disability services", a government department, represent my best interests at my trial. The bills were focused on, without me being able to explain what really caused them (even my "disability advocate" didn't speak during this - probably because she believes that the diagnosis is correct, I was ill-prepared after having this trial slapped on me with 2 weeks notice, after forcibly removed from where I was living, and my lawyer having faith that he would represent me after my request for adjournment), and my mother's statement of me pushing her - a complete accident, with me nowhere near of, that she took advantage of, to blame it on me, thus highlighting the importance of the police removing me and having this trustee order slapped on me. Disability services, when the judges (i think there were 5 of them that decide upon each person's case) asked why I couldn't have rent etc. taken out of my bank, replied "he could just have that canceled" and they probably believed that this was my intention. Let me tell you, one of these trials does not affoard you the same rights as you would have in a civil or even criminal trial in a democracy would have, they publicly state that the normal rules of evidence don't apply, and you are not allowed to make a statement in your defence. I don't know why exactly these conditions are made in a public trustee court, but I suspect that its something to do with the welfare for the genuinely disabled.
I don't hate the law that allows people's finances or lives to be controlled, nor do I hate the law that allows detainment of people for 4 days suspected of having a mental illness. They are there for a good reason, but in my case, people have abused them. Some of those people, like the government, are doing their job, thinking that the person involved needs the help, but some, like my mother, are fully aware that they're manipulating others to get their desired outcome. Actually, I don't even know if she is aware of what she's doing, and certainly wasn't aware of the implications of accusing someone of being unable to handle their affairs. She takes ahstma medication, at non-theraputic doses (it includes steroids of some sort) to "get more done" and several people have commented that she exhibits classic signs of o.c.d, and she is the one that should be psychologicly examined. But, she's 50, hasn't had her parents take her to shrinks (the attitudes in the 60's were probably such that a kid behaving like that could be dealt with by a smack on the behind, and not psycho-therapy), and pays her bills the moment they arrive in the letterbox.
It must sound unusual that someone wants to deal with jerks, paying taxes, and working for a living, but when you're 18, those are the things that any adult could or should be putting up with. I'm being perpertually held in a dream world, where there are no such things as bills and people to deal with. The longer that lasts for, the less prepared I will be for the real world, when this order finally gets cancelled, or our social security system gets cancelled. One thing about the "real world" - you can move about freely (at least in the weekend), and can, to some extent, choose what kind of work you want to take on - sounds like responsibility. To quote a friend: "what do these people expect you to do when you get off this order? Are they going to continue it forever? They think you can't manage money, but what are they actually doing to assist you in learning about that? (nothing was my reply, as that is exactly what the situation is)". Being paid to watch cable tv and surf the net isn't a life - well, it might be to those who expect freebies every week - and I think the rat-race can actually keep you healthy - you're actually doing something. My views on the whole matter could be completely wrong, as I've never worked, but I'd like to put a full-time worker in my situation, for no fixed amount of time, and see how long they enjoy doing nothing without complaining about having "all the time in the world". Most people in this country work in some fashion or another, and when you tell people you aren't working, whether by choice or by circumstance - you get scrutinized.
I'm pretty sure I haven't answered all your questions. I've just woken up, and my first recourse was to check my private messages, and I felt I had an obligation to answer your questions promptly, as you have given me so much information and hope that I can have a normal life. If there is anything that doesn't add up, anything you want clarified, you know who to post, oh, and an amazingly long message is what you get for being nosey - j/k. Cheers.
Date Posted: Wed January 18, 2006 1:23 AMam
I can tell you, my mother was likely set off far before moving out of the house. If anything, that was a great ocassion for her. She has held the fact that I cried as a baby against me for many years. They probably did go through the normal emotions that someone does when a son/daughter leaves home, but I doubt that they felt them very much. As soon as I moved in with my 50 year old lawyer friend, my mother warned him about the dangers of living with an autistic. When I met him, she expressed concern that he had been struck off from the law society, but nothing like "i don't think you should have anything to do with this man", more like "you may not know this about him". I don't think the thought of a homosexual relationship crossed their minds - in fact, when I was testing them, they said that he sounded like a nice man and would never do anything like that. My friend had a quirk that I was unaware of at first. He would obsessively download pictures of naked boys (about 15) and burn them to cd's, and have fantasies of making $1m a month by running a porn site, and thinking it was legal because prood of age was required. Since I was about the same age as the boys he was downloading at the time, I asked if there was any similar stuff between a teen and teen girl, and he showed me some stuff. I don't have a thing for young girls, just girls who look under-developed. At no time did I feel threatened in any way when living with him. The fact that I felt ill, and he examined me wearing only one of those coats you put on after a shower, and he had no underware on, and could have taken advantage at any time, highlighted that.
He has described my mother as "mad as a meathook" and obsessed with my diagnosis. I know its really hard to believe that someone's mother doesn't expect her son to make something of his life. I've just rang my friend, and he said that anyone talking to her on the phone, and talking about aspergers, and the public trustee, would soon prove that she's mad. Tell me, what bewilders you about our welfare system? Disabled people are very rarely subject to this type of treatment, basicly over here you can do nothing and be paid for it, and most crimes are like "oh, you stole a car? OK, i think you should pay a $100 fine, but please don't do it again" - its the lucky country for just about anyone, however a lot of pensioners are being coerced to work, a pensioner from sydney called it slave labour, as he was working full time and not being paid for it. The social worker I talked to in Sydney was excellent - I haven't seen an abuse of power by anyone apart from my state police and the public trustee.
I was pepper sprayed once by a policeman who was passing by, and felt threatened when he addressed me, and I stood up with a powerboard which was already in my hand.
When being arrested under a mental health order, I've had literally a convoy of police cars behind and in front of the car I was in. And the so-called psychiatric nurses are a bit dim - it was bleedingly obvious that one was trying to get me angry, so I played along with his game, asked him who pol-pot was, because my father thought of him as a hero.
I believe all my above experiences have been because the police etc think "someone with the same condition as the guy that killed 35 people in one day - use as much force as is lawful".
My uncle is/was a great person, apart from him looking at slightly underage, naked boys - the pictures were there, I don't know if viewing them makes him a part of the child porn problem. But I can confidently say he has never actively engaged in exploiting anyone, underage or not, for sexual or other purpouses.
I phoned the government department that grants me my pension today - they told me I had to contact australian immigration - which i did, and they told me that they didn't know why the previous department redirected me, they are only for people intending to come into Australia. They told me that I would need to contact the australian consulate.
That means
a) they would know I'm heading to their country with the intention of seeking a pension b)intenting to reside without a permit c) possibly alerting people who could stop my exit from the country, if I had to give personal info.
Probably not a good idea to seek out advice in those circumstances. What do you think?
I had a thought about you expressing concern about me wanting to seek a "normal" life, full of jerks, long working hours, etc. That made me think "I've never worked before - who's to say that I would fully be capable of working when the need arises?". Seeking a pension in a country that aus has an agreement with might be a good idea, plunging yourself into another country, expecting to do something you've never done, which depends on your livelyhood, may not be a good idea. What do you think? If I am entitled to a pension, shouldn't I take it, until I/the government decide I am healthy enough to work? Even if my diagnosis is thrown out the window, I could well be suffering something due to my treatment over the last 18 months, which may qualify me for a benefit, which would at least allow me to adjust before working.
Thoughts questions and comments, as always, are welcome.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 22, 2021 5:21:49 GMT
Date Posted: Wed January 18, 2006 12:08 PMpm
The only authorities that could stop me leaving the country are the state or federal police, as they have the power to hold people suspected of being mentally ill and about to cause actions to harm themselves or others, for 4 days at least. Just a few months before this order took place, while still living with my parents (the second time around), I expressed a desire to travel to Egypt, I had the funds, accommodation sorted, and a price for a return ticket quoted. My mother instantly reacted on this one - "look at whats happened there in the past" (security has been stepped up significantly since the terror attack on those german tourists" and "those middle east countries aren't safe" (I informed her that Egypt was mostly in north africa, however that probably only worsened things). Even my disability advocate was shocked and said that she, on her own, couldn't stop me, it was a very stupid thing to travel there.
I would love to announce to the public trustee that I wish to go abroad, but that could open up a real can of worms - it would be clear that i have significant savings, and they have the power to confiscate all of that, they technicly don't allow people under their control out of the state or country, as they wouldn't have control over their finances, which is their job, and they won't cut off your power etc. The way they pay bills, is they pay a fixed amount each fortnight, no matter whether your bill for that fortnight is 20 cents (in the case of phone) or 20 dollars. Internet, I could have lowered to the cheapest plan possible, but I would still be paying 40 dollars for services that aren't being used at all, even after monthly connection charges. I really think that if there is any money left over after paying someone's bill, they line their own pockets with it. If they have 100 people on these orders, probably half of which have no idea what they recieve and what is being paid, and the public trustee pays a $15 bill and takes only $5 from them a fortnight, thats $500 a fortnight they recieve tax-free. When I talk about fortnightly bills, it isn't exactly how it sounds - bills here are paid quarterly, but $20 a fortnight is the minimum they can withdraw from someone's pension to have bills automaticly paid, or in my case, saved up to pay quarterly bills when they get them. It must be said that I've never seen a copy of any bills that they have paid, nor my financial records while they have been under their control - you would think that being sent a copy would be mandatory, especialy if their intentions were to teach someone about finances! How you're meant to adjust your spending when you don't how much your bills are! I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I'm being penalised $30 a fortnight because my winter power bill was higher than autumn one - anyone that has electricity on in this state would realise that winter power bills cost more, I have no idea how they could not know this, or plan in advance for the occurance.
You're about spot on with your assumption of welfare systems, in regard to down here - apart from the fact that public dental waiting lists are 10 years - I am not joking - for anything, from a cavity filling to whatever is the worst tooth problem one could have. I have private health, but I'm not really "allowed" to have anything which could cause me to be sent a bill/have credit. And I would be accused even more of not managing finances if I sent them a $200 dental bill.
About return flights, I have to travel to an international airport in australia, then my destination, which I'm sure affects return ticket prices. I can't really just book a fare from the intl airport and make my own way there - that leaves way too much to chance. If I could have a ticket that would return me just to an intl airport in australia, that would save a significant amount of money, and after my parents being notified of my being overseas, their shock would likely cause them to pay the extra leg home, as they have done in the past for domestic flights. If you want to see how the situation sizes up for yourself, go to www.qantas.com.au and try looking at prices for return/one way flights from hobart, australia, to paris or amsterdam. A return flight seems to be, on average, $500 extra, but I'm really playing with fire, having over $500 in the bank - certainly with almost $1500, as it can be taken from me at any time. I really think just hiding that amount of cash here is too risky, I could convert it to a cheque, but for the fares you'll see on that website, it needs to be paid online with credit card - which means putting the amount into a bank account anyway. I can't open a bank account anywhere in the state without the public trustee knowing about it, I possibly could in another state, but I would never get a VISA debit/credit card -proof or residence, etc applies, and as you know, I can't reside in another state without sleeping on the street. For a $1400 hobart>amsterdam one way flight, I was told by the travel agent that the cheapest non-internet price was $2500 - pretty shocking, domestic flights are limited to $10 extra.
The only paradise on earth could possibly be cuba, and that would only be for someone with very low expectations in life - everything is meant to be given by the state, lots of sunshine, but not much freedom or opportunity. I would guess that the non-elite are living similarly to my situation (everything supplied by the state) but with a LOT less freedom, and everything that comes with that. Comparing my own situation to a Cuban's or anyone living in a socialist country would be an insult to that person.
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Post by mossie on Jul 22, 2021 6:55:02 GMT
A total nutter, needs putting out of his misery ASAP
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 22, 2021 11:10:15 GMT
(I skipped over an extensive discourse about flight logistics -- as though he would have ever managed to board an airplane.)
Date Posted: Wed January 18, 2006 3:54 PMpm
I've had a passport since 2002 - a girl wanted to take me out to a nightclub, and I realised I didn't have any ID. My only concern with the public trustee is that they can easily find out your bank balance, and make a decision to withold part or all of that money for say, future bills - pretty much anything they deem nessecary - that's "in my best interests". I can't really say someone else is paying, as they can check that a transaction large enough to be for an international airfare has taken place. I do have an idea though - "visa travelmoney" - acts like a credit card, but is pre-paid, and being pre-paid, I'm guessing that this public trustee can't touch it - if I paid for an airline ticket outright, the transaction would show that it took place at a travel centre. With travelmoney, all there would be a record of is me withdrawing 1.5k, and from there, there are no records. The sooner I have this money converted into a method that they can't touch, but I can use, the better.
I honestly don't know, for sure, their policy on this subject - but last year, my experience was that they would make a plane ticket "available" for me to come "home". That seems to imply that I was unable, financially, to do it myself. I'm already in knee deep with them, and I don't want to risk telling them my intentions of traveling - for all they know, they could just shrug their shoulders, but they could also thoroughly question my intentions, how i'm going to survive on 50 euros a week, accuse me of not thinking it through properly - actually, they probably wouldn't accuse me, but they would tell a psychologist of my plans, or my previous doctor who stated "you can't go around bashing up your mum" (which i was very suprised at, a professional doesn't accuse you of a crime you haven't been charged with - I believe the decision of what happened etc is up to police) who could sign papers stating that I could have a mental illness that is affecting my decision-making. That would rule out getting out of the country and certainly the state for sure. I don't think many people on disability pensions plan or execute overseas holidays, and thats what it would look like to them, and certainly would raise red flags. The less they know, the better, from my experience, however I would be exteremely happy to tell them everything thats happened, once I'm no longer in australia. Then there is nothing they could do. I don't think they're evil, but to quote my cousin, when reading one of their letters, said "she is trying to be bitchy but sounding professional at the same time".
I've had a look at virgin atlantic, and while their flights from sydney are attractive, it involves me then booking a domestic flight with another airline - with qantas, your domestic flight is lined up with your intl one, which, i believe, means they're to blame if the connection is missed, but if i book my own domestic flight, after the intl one, there may not be one available, i would have to transfer my own luggage, and if i miss the connection, its my fault. Hopping over to sydney, and sleeping on the train for a few nights, then booking a fare, could be an option, but would probably end up almost as expensive as going with qantas - luggage storage costs, having to buy takeaway when I can prepare some things here, and the big IF of me ending up 3 hours away, after sleeping on a train, from an international flight leaving. This was nerve-wracking enough with a domestic flight - i didn't have a panic attack or anything, but "oh sh*t am i going to make it" was going through my mind the whole time. Also, where i store my luggage is in a youth hostel, which is only intended for guests, and i've just been lucky so far that nobody has noticed.
Date Posted: Thu January 19, 2006 3:19 AMam
Actually, my order could have been lifted if I was "co-operative" with a disability support group, but they wanted to help me "buy groceries and find the best computer deals" - a) I'm not in a wheelchair, b) I've never had any problems finding the "best computer deals" in the past. This degenerated into my parents essentialy expecting them to be a taxi service. I've rung the organisations manager who clearly stated that they only help people perform a task that they're unable to do due to disability, and he agreed with my statement of what my parents expected of them, but hasn't, do date, actually rang them and told them of this fact. It just isn't right to use a service that you're not supposed to be using, when someone who really needs it, could be using it.
Date Posted: Thu January 19, 2006 2:42 PMpm
How I expect to get out: I'm going to my lawyer to make sure that, if he can appear in my absence, that he can fulfill the role that he should have last time. He isn't in the wrong, but I should have had him there at the trial. I didn't, because he told me all would be fine if I requested an adjournment in order for him to represent me. Hopefully, he will be able to bring up the fact of the conditions the initial diagnosis was made in, my request for the interview proceedings (request for adjournment ignored/disability services saying i could "just cancel" any direct debit from my bank account), and question why the order was made, and if they say it was because I was accused of pushing my mother, then I assume he would ask if I had been formally charged over the matter, and since I wasn't, then why not. I assume he will also bring up the fact that by simply deciding to move, something that I'm not explicitly prohibited from doing, but financially prohibited (no way to initialy set myself up) that they blocked my every move at getting off the welfare system and getting a job.
I've gone with these carers a few times, and had nothing but bad experiences. Once I was criticized, quite agressively, about my choice of food (surely they could cope with the fact that someone on my income can't affoard the healthiest food around), which triggered a panic attack, and another time, I was criticized about the thought that the services should be used for someone that actually was disabled. I've found the staff to be argumentitive and unwilling to treat you like anything other than a disabled and helpless person. The notion of even pretending to co-operate with them (getting out of this order on that clause has long past now) is repugnant to me, every time I'm in the car with one of them, a genuninely disabled person is not recieving help. Being driven around on the basis you have a disability, when you know you don't, just doesn't feel right. It feels so "not right" that I flat-out refuse to use their services, Each time I have been in the car with these people, I've felt dirty, and as if my hands were soaked in blood. Oh, the order is reviewed every 3 years - I have 18 months left until my next one, and I'm quite pessimistic about the outcome of it, which is why I've said that 5 years of my life will be wasted.
I certainly don't wish to revolt against authority of any kind, ask anyone that has dealt with me outside this state - but they can't justify handling someone's finances who isn't even in the country. If I have to sleep on the paris metro for 6 months just to make them see the fact that I don't have any intention of living in a state I don't want to, then I will. They would have less credibility managing someone's finances on the other side of the planet, than they would on the other side of the country. I wouldn't mind a similar situation in another state or country at all, because it would soon be obvious that I could look after myself - someone who has been in the largest city in australia, found their own food, and has found shelter, for 3-4 months surely has proven in at least some way that they don't need babysitting.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 23, 2021 4:33:34 GMT
Date Posted: Thu January 19, 2006 3:56 PMpm
3 years is the standard length of an order before review for all people deemed incapable or some way or another. This is the section of their site pertaining to me, and they even charge you $90 a month for the privelage of having your finances managed! It seems my parents are paying that one, I overheard my father saying to someone "its a pretty good deal, only $90 a month". As for my "condition" - I was meant to have a review of my condition by the govt dept that pays for and decides on my capacity not to work, but when I turned up (with my mother of course, insisting that she tag along, so I didn't try anything stupid like tell them I was healthy) they told me I didn't need to come back anymore. Apparently I'm branded too ill to work for life. And this is admist a major welfare overhaul in australia - basicly everyone is being "asked" to seek work, the criteria for being unable to work has been tightened in order to keep out the "cheaters" and to quote either our P.M, or minister for health: "very few people on pensions will be unaffected by this, this reform is to make sure only the truly needy are recieving benefits" or something along those lines. I would look up the link for you, but my bandwidth is very limited atm. We're apparently the largest welfare state in the world - billons of dollars spent on benefits, etc, in fact my lawyer friend said the pension was "the grand prize" for someone of my age - and my (at the time) doctor filled out the confidential, only for the doctor to view form with me, asking me what boxes we should tick, so I would "get the most money".
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 23, 2021 4:46:41 GMT
Date Posted: Fri January 20, 2006 2:37 PMpm
The weather is the first thing i checked - low season=undesirable weather. Spain might be a good alternative, but if i could hold off until october, apparently the same price is then, I would be much better prepared. Oh, my mother sent me my initial diagnosis today - apparently defending yourself with a 2mm screwdriver, against someone who has pushed you into walls 7 times, and almost broken your nose, is an inappropriate response. Someone didn't tell the shrink I was backed into a corner. Oh, and if someone has done all that to you, he's only a "percieved" threat! Another thing, I perform poorly under stress - I don't think 3 months coping with being homeless was performed poorly - Unable to predict the consequences of my actions - well, having your feet on the seat of a train does incur a $200 fine, but by experience, the police in sydney are lenient with homeless people. Percieve the school environment as unpredictable - um, you attend classes, and might have a suprise quizz sprung on you.
Unable to perform multi-step tasks - Hobart airport, to sydney airport, to accommodation, to other accommodation, then emergency accommodation, then sleeping on the train, all the while keeping my luggage at secure locations, and focusing on "non-preferred activities". Won't understand verbal feedback given to me is designed to help me - I think you asked a couple of questions to me that would come under this, stuck in inappropriate behaviours, even when they cause difficulty for me and others - can't think of a recent example of this, but at the casino tonight, I exited promptly when a bouncer told me I had inappropriate shoes on. Arguing with parents to achieve a desired outcome - being recognised as a normal, healthy person sure is a desirable outcome, and if my parents are impeding on me having that, I'll either argue (when the topic comes up on the phone) or get the hell away from them, which is what we've been writing about in the first place. Oh, the real ringer - unable to judge what impact my words will have on others - the amnesty intl letter sure would upset a lot of people, but there was no other way to put it unless I sugar-coated it. I couldn't tell that sending that letter to the Muslim guy would make him sleepless for several nights.
I don't understand the implications that negative statements I make to other people would have - have you noticed anything like that?
This is the diagnosis that was made when I was 300km away. I'll let you be the judge of whether any of the above apply, if you wish - but this still doesn't seem to be the original diagnosis. This would be one sure way of getting an overseas pension, but one thing very much concerns me - the "screwdriver" part. It casts me as a person who reacts violently to anyone I "percieve" as a threat. That wouldn't be good for asylum, and I think it would be grounds enough to get me sent home instantly from my destination country. That's the thing with my mother - casts me in a bad light without giving the full version of events.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 23, 2021 11:11:33 GMT
Date Posted: Sat January 21, 2006 7:10 AMam
First off, the "Munchausen by proxy" syndrome has been suggested by my lawyer friend, and he's also suggested that its a situation where the mother has autism and is trying to project that disability onto her son (that probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but thats the best i can remember of him describing the "syndrome".)
You're right in saying that people in another state would automaticly get, of ask for, your previous medical history. As for more conservative states, i think australia as a whole is pretty liberal when it comes to pensions. They're provided by the federal government, so no one state has a particular incentive to "take you off" the pension. The main complaint in queensland is about aboriginals being paid more than anglos, who spend all their money on payday, on gambling and drinking - though of course, that's a huge stereotype that ruins it for the majority who were taken from their parents as children, and weren't even allowed to vote until 30 years ago.
The problem with "escaping" to another state is that I'm still under jurisdiction of this administration order, which means if i'm deemed to be acting against my own interests (which could even be getting a diagnosis that doesn't agree with the established one, and almost certainly trying to set myself up to live there) police in any state have the right, under the mental health act, to send you back to your home state. I think I avoided this in 2004 by being very secret about my movements, e.g, not giving out personal information unless it was nessecary, not blabbing to my parents about what suburb i was living in. I think i would be cracked down on fairly severely if I tried to "escape" a second time - it could be classed as me not thinking clearly, or making their government looking bad.
I honestly can't answer how I would, or predict how i would, react to being cut off from the only life/country i've ever known. I embraced Sydney, with crowds i'd never seen in my life, a bewildering public transport system, enough to have an incentive to return there several times. I would often go to the areas where shopfront signs are in arabic, and not have in my mind the fact that I could get out of there within an hour or so. I'd love to get things settled here first, but that just doesn't seem possible, due to the fact that the federal govt can't intefere with state laws. I really need the protection, or at least the impartiality, of a foreign democracy to judge for themselves if I'm disabled and in need of care. The real culture shock will occur when I'm completely unable to get any assistance from my father in getting around town etc, things that i don't think twice about in another state, because I've had a bad experience with people in this one, and respect people in other states, and the fact of living alone and having responsibility to do things just isn't a problem - it's just something you do, because if you don't do it yourself, it just doesn't get done. The best I can say at the moment is that I'd rather chance it in a country that is foreign to me, and virtually putting my life into the hands of a foreign government, than going through, for the next 5 years, what I have the last 18 months, which will almost certainly be made worse after my next review, and definately my allowance will be "severely cut" if my power bill in winter is more than what it is in any other season. I would rather spend a large some of money for the chance of having a life of (relative) freedom, than to stay here and blow it on some consumer goods. I intend to have my power cut off, internet cut down to the bare minimum level, in the case that I do come back - the trustee can't justify making me pay for services that aren't even on, or in the case of internet, 1/3 of the cost of what they're paying now.
As for my appearances, and how other people react to me: well, at the time of the second diagnosis, I had shoulder length neat hair and pale skin - I've always had this, I think its something to do with food allergies - however since, I've just had a #2 shaved head, and my skin condition hasn't really changed. I can upload 2 photos of me - one when I was living with my uncle, and one from a few months ago, where I've left my weight and hair go a bit, but take into consideration that the second photo was taken on a lower resolution camera and was in dark lighting - its the only one I have of me at the moment, and I don't have any other means of taking one at the moment. If that scares you off a bit, I can go to a friend's and get one taken - the only things that have changed are my weight and hair length.
before (unfortunately, I never saw these photos) K2 after
Please keep in mind that the "after" shot was taken a few hours after I woke up, and I had no incentive to go and clean myself up in order to go outside, like I do in other states. Obviously, a hair cut and better clothes would be needed for immigration, and I wore better clothes at the casino last night (I'll get to that in a moment). I can't really describe how other people react to me other than their actions - they treat me like I imagine anyone else would, I've had the ocassional door held open for me, I was in a lift with a few strangers last night that had some small talk with me, but nobody arounds me really reacts as if they're nervous or otherwise unsettled. Of course, I say "excuse me" or "sorry" If I bump into somebody, thank the waitress for bringing me drinks, and so on. You might be thinking that my going to the casino last night was an act that would condemn me as "financially irresponsible" but I spent $2 on the slots, and went to observe a game of roulette. I go maybe twice a year, and have placed 5x $2 on roulette - a $2 bet on each 6 lines of numbers, which is the best odds of winning in roullete - 1/6 chance of losing unless 0 comes up. You gain $2, but mainly I did this a few times in 2004 when I was coping with the fact that I'd been shoved into a house by myself, and the bet worked fairly well - you would, mostly, bet the same way 3 times, end up with an extra $6, and walk off. Other people couldn't see why I was winning so often. I don't even go to a casino to "win" - you're given free drinks when playing the slots, and a $1 game can last up to about 20 minutes, and I'm pretty shocked by people that just keep putting coins or notes in slots, and bet $1 at a time (I always play 1 cent machines - gives you 100 turns). When I was moved in here in 2004, and going to the casino, the money I had won was enough for a cab fare home, and I guess it was sort of a coping mechanism for being in such a painful situation - it meant that I only had to wait 2 hours until it was time to go to sleep. Oh, and half the time with slots, you'll win say, 150 credits, so you'll play the credits that can't be withdrawn, then collect your dollar (or $4 as the case was last night). It's actually an economical way of getting a few free drinks.
I'm going to sign off before my "better than average" english makes me look like I have aspergers
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Post by fumobici on Jul 23, 2021 14:18:59 GMT
The one thing I cannot abide is loud or talkative crazy or clinically depressed people. I don't hate them or anything, I just cannot be around them or to listen to their word salads. I'd rather eat coarsely broken glass.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 23, 2021 14:36:51 GMT
During a psychology class in university, they locked us up for one night in the main psychiatric hospital of California (Camarillo). Believe me, that is a night that I will never forget. But I definitely learned to listen to them. I think it may have changed me forever.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 24, 2021 11:20:19 GMT
Skipping over some of the more repetitive rantings and moving on to...
Public housing here was made from scratch in the 70's - entire suburbs of public housing were built. Almost all single dwellings, but things are very, very bad there, and for some reason we didn't listen to the fact that this particular model of public housing didn't work in the U.S 20 years before it was built here. People stealing other's firewood, selling saucepans full of wine, stealing front doors, wood heaters, hot water cylinders, even food from people's fridges. The homeless people here have pointed out that there are so many of these places vacant, and would be willing to move into them, but they're "always full" accoarding to officials. One guy counted 40 vacant houses, in only a very small suburb. New building codes specify that all new houses must be insulated, double glazed (i think) and other standards similar to those in europe, so what do the public housing authorities do? Buy 80 year houses and put people in there, thus saving money on building new houses. I'm not complaining about my place, its a unit joined at only one wall, but the neighbour is a bit of a weirdo (leaves threataning letters in my mailbox because theres been a storm, which has blown some of my garbage into his yard). Accoarding to my father, he "doesn't like people" - I really wonder if the authorities planned on putting two autistics together. My place is a palace for a low income earner, but it doesn't change my situation, nor does it change the fact that their are semi-high rise public housing blocks at either end of the street - which are very rare, but they're here, and you do get bad people walking around on occassion. With my lawyer friend, I was paying the same amount of money (with rent assistance) - when he let me pay - for a 3 bedroom, 2 living room, clifftop, garage with automatic door, 2 storey house in the second best address in the state. His amazing way with words convinced several landlords to let 2 pensioners rent places that would be normally off-limits to most people on the same income.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 24, 2021 11:30:16 GMT
Date Posted: Sat January 21, 2006 11:01 PMpm It seems almost anything I do could have me branded as an autistic, so it's hard to do anything other than move . I have a psychological asessement interview tomorrow, which, for some reason, was scheduled for when I'd be most effected by my tablets, with the same guy that labeled that martin bryant. My doctor sent me there because a psychologist would have more "clout" to install air conditioning and double glazing. I doubt it.
Date Posted: Mon January 23, 2006 12:04 PMpm
It will be a challenge of a lifetime, to be sure.
About this shrink I was meant to see - we've had hot as hell weather here, and I've had 4 fans running for the last 3 nights just to keep the room temperature about 30c. I simply haven't slept. I was in no position to be analysed by a shrink, I could barely have answered any of his questions, so my father went in his place.
I went to my doctor today, and asked a few coy questions about overseas travel. He already knew I was somewhat interested in seeking asylum. He reckons that europe is inundated with asylum seekers, and you have extremely little chance of being granted it. I said that of course I trust someone who has my health in mind far more than someone from the internet, just to put himself at ease. He wasn't so much concerned about the fact of successfuly seeking asylum, or leaving the country with a disability, but travel insurance. With sleeping tablets, and an asperger's diagnosis, he reckons it would be practicly impossible for someone to get it. Of course, with me emphasizing that I was interested in going on holiday, that was his primary point. I coyly asked about his legal obligation to provide info to australian police in the case that he thought I wasn't thinking clearly about going on holiday or seeking asylum. He said he really didn't know the law in that regard, and asked where I intended to stay - I wasn't prepared for that (probably a stupid move) so i paused for a second and said "a youth hostel". He dismissed the idea of going to north america (i simply asked about his legal obligations if i decided to take off to the "north american or european continent" - trying to be as pacific as possible) because of the extreme cost of prescription medication. Even so, I have at least a month's supply of everything, and I'd hardly need any of it, unless I had to sleep upright, something I've never been able to do. He also thought that asylum seekers and particularly illegals get locked up, sometimes for years, just like australia, even while their case is being decided.
I've got a visa travelcard, but got quite a shock when I was asked for ID with proof of address on it. I provided my proper address (but lied, probably justifiedly, about my mother's maiden name). So its still very much "up in the air" whether that public trustee can touch money put into that account. It's better than leaving it in an account that they definately know about.
I've had a really crazy, but probably effective, idea about provind to a shrink that I'm a normal person - have someone film me going about my daily business. Obviously it couldn't be done with many people around, but say, getting on a bus with nobody else on, and asking the driver if they want to confiscate the tape. Bus drivers with only one passenger here are highly social. The report where it was stated that I react negatively to outcomes that don't "go my way" - my ATM card wasn't working at the pharmacy today when I went to buy tablets that I needed, but I didn't react negatively at all. Just a polite "oh ok, that's weird, thanks anyway" and I was on my way. That would be great to have on film, and the shrink could always ring the pharmacist to confirm that it wasn't staged. OK - I'm crazy about trying to prove I'm not crazy, if that makes any sense
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 24, 2021 17:32:29 GMT
Skipping along again... Date Posted: Tue January 24, 2006 2:18 AMam
Just a couple of questions, since I didn't really give you anything to reply to last time - first, does france have boarding houses? Basicly, here, a boarding house is an old house split up into a dozen rooms or so, with shared bathroom/kitchen. Some people stay there because it's one step above being homeless, some people have blue collar jobs and can't affoard to stay elsewhere in sydney. I stayed in one for 2 weeks and had no problems - just wondering if something like that exists in france - it would be a lot cheaper than a hostel.
And, it seems that portugal is the cheapest destination in europe - while they don't have a pension agreement with australia, their costs are so low that I probably could have a roof over my head and basic food for $100-150 a week - probably more like $300 a week if my father pays me to leave (he seems to think i cost him money and time, so i put it to him that if he paid me less than what he says he does, and i left the state, thereby him having time to himself, he would be a bit better off). Just a thought - portugal could crack down on illegals particularly, but its probably the cheapest solution in my current situation, unless i was to stay a few hundred km outside paris (and i imagine you would still have cities of 1 million plus) where prices would be lower.
Date Posted: Tue January 24, 2006 9:31 PMpm
No need to apologise for any delays at all, I understand that your work and family commitments are far more important than private internet messages. It seems that on top of your family commitments, you have a great deal of responsibility, compared to who you're talking with, who has little to no responsibility . By the way, after 30-something messages, I really should have introduced myself more formally - my name is Mark.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 24, 2021 18:52:37 GMT
It’s OnlyMark! He’s just having you on...
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Post by questa on Jul 25, 2021 2:17:55 GMT
More likely to be Mark's brother...or an Oz version thereof!
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 4:47:48 GMT
The situation with my father is very tenuous at best. I believe when he made this statement about paying me to "go away", it was one of the few ocassions that he shows some independent though - mostly he's just a mouthpiece for my mother, and can get into severe trouble for not towing the official line. The that that he'd get "in trouble" must sound very strange, as you would expect a marriage to be roughly equal, but my mother is the dominant person out of the two, and handles practicly everything - bills and most other household affairs. Any expression of wanting to visit overseas would be relayed to my mother, and at least my father telling me how dangerous the world is (I told him that since the 2nd iraq war, 1 of the 2 major countries supporting the u.s have had a terror attack, and we are the other one, so it's either by sheer luck or skill of our counter-terrorism authorities that we don't get attacked, but he still maintained that Australia is the safest place to be).
As for my mother's views on the subject, I'm incapable of traveling overseas (I put this to her in a scenario that I might, just might, be able to save enough money for a holiday in the next 5-10 years) because you have to do things like "book hotels, flights, watch out for pick-pockets, muggings", and that I could land myself in a very bad situation without even knowing it. A few years ago, when I also expressed a desire to travel, and she balked at most of my destinations, I asked her "what do you think are the safest countries to visit?" she replied - "switzerland". I brought this up and she no longer thinks that's the case - that Australia's the lucky country, the safest country on earth, and in fact that there are no countries even anywhere near as safe as here. She almost remarked that bombs are exploded on trains all over Europe, most of which "you don't hear about on the news because they want to keep it quiet". When I asked her to name just one country she thinks would be dangerous, she said "oh, I don't know any offhand, I'd have to look it up I guess" - a bit of a generic response for someone who seems to think they know that the whole world is dangerous. My uncle suggested going to Egypt 2 years ago, but of course with observing the local customs, Islam as the major influence in life there (I said that I would go there mostly for the fact that I'd like to see an nation where Islam has a major effect on everyday life) - my mother instantly expressed that the australian government have deals with other countries to not tell about any dangers of going to those countries, but my uncle replied that the situation is entirely reversed, there is a briefing on each country including safety information on the dept of foreign affairs and trade website, and info is available on the phone. I'm not sure how my mother responded, but it was either by completely ignoring the fact, or still sticking to her beliefs. Pigs will fly before she will be persuaded to ring up the australian government and ask about their opinion of safety information of other countries.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 4:50:01 GMT
I've been thinking, as an alternative idea to that crazy "video my everyday life" idea, that people that know me, perhaps carers, and people that are fairly neutral towards me (there's someone that I visit, but certainly isn't afraid to speak his mind on a topic if there's any agreement - and even he refers to my alleged disability as "mental problems") to write to one of these psychologists with their opinion of how I react to everyday situations, and the fact that they can be contacted for confirmation of any of the points. I've also though of two situations where my diagnosis and what has been the case in real life has been completely different, and I'll highlight them below:
"Mark reacts negatively to situations where the outcome isn't in his favour" - monday, at the pharmacist, I went to buy some sleeping tablets that I'd just ran out of. My ATM card wasn't working, so of course, I couldn't have the tablets, which I really needed after 4 days of not getting any sleep. I said "Oh ok, I'm not sure why my card isn't working - thanks anyway" and left.
"Mark reacts awkwardly and inappropriately in social situations" - My father and I were in the supermarket last night. A lady in a wheelchair was trying to get down the aisle we were in but we were blocking her path. I moved out of the way pretty much immediately, but my father continued to stay in the same spot, and I had to pull at his shirt and tell him that he was in the way of somebody. I scolded him for not considering the needs of the less-able in the community, and that my very actions contradicted what was in the report.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 15:05:01 GMT
I'll give you an example of a typical phone call between my mother and I, it's probably highly off-topic, but it might give you some insight into her frame of mind. We were talking about the fact that my front, and only outside door was having severe problems which I had reported to the public housing authorities, and she didn't agree that 7 working days was a reasonable time to wait for a response:
me: "people live in public housing in gagebrook, bridgewater, rokeby, clarendon vale and a lot of other places. They are a public service and have a lot of people to deal with. You can't expect them to be at my beck and call."
fay: "your problem is more urgent than theirs. Nobody else in those places has a faulty door frame."
me: "How do you know that? Have you been around to all those places and asked them?"
fay: "I'm sick of this, I'm hanging up now."
me: "you're only hanging up because you have your facts wrong."
*phone call is disconnected*
Her classic line is "I'm sick of this, I'm hanging up now" when she either doesn't get her way, or has somehow been proved wrong. She also seems to thinks that disability services and other authorities can perform almost impossible feats, just for me, because I'm disabled or have special needs. At one time she even believed I was immune from police questioning due to disability. I'm pretty sure I've convinced you of what my mother's like in the past, but there are a few more points that might give you some more insight into the whole situation. My mother is not someone that you reveal plans to that disagree with her own beliefs, lest you feel the wrath of her shock and anger - even though I'm a legal adult. That must sound bizzare, but she does have disability and other organisations on her side, as she's supplied them with either out-and-out lies, or just plain faulty facts.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 15:09:20 GMT
Date Posted: Fri January 27, 2006 12:40 AMam
It would be a good thing for there to be a board for illegals, or something like that, but I'm guessing due to the nature of the TT terms and conditions, the operators wouldn't like that too much, at all. If I can't find out more about illegals in other countries, or make contacts with other people on the TT, then I guess once my 90 days gets close to running out, I have to high-tail it back to France. I've spoken to a friend about this whole idea, and the fact that illegals from n africa get rid of their documents, and he seems to think that there are refugee camps in western europe. Now, I know who I'd rather believe, even if I only do know you through the internet - you're there and you have a pretty good grasp of the situation. Plus, there's no reason for you to give me false information, you wouldn't have a motive.
I believe the situation for me in Morocco is 90 days on arrival, I haven't recently checked that, but it usually sticks in my mind which countries do and don't want a visa from me. I'd be a bit cautious about going there without more information - even though its a fairly well frequented country by westerners. The idea of teaching english in front of a class does give me the jitters a bit, but who knows, the situation could well change once I'm actually out of here. I'll chase up some info on that village in Spain though. The big advantage of being in W Europe is, with all the schnegen countries so close together, I can get to and from most of them without it being a major event.
I mentioned Munchuasen by proxy syndrome to my mother, and she said how she had heard of so many cases of it happening, but when I made the suggestion that she had it, I instantly recieved a flurry of testimonies that she hasn't been diagnosed with anything, therefore has nothing wrong, a lot of profanity, and accusation of me having stolen goods. Now, I told her "You're welcome to come here now or any time to make sure I don't have anything like that" she asked me why I'd bother. Anyway, I'll quit the stories of me vs mother, as you're probably sick of hearing them, and its pretty obvious that getting out of here is the best, probably only, option.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 15:11:02 GMT
I'm sure you have all noticed the quantity of messages over such a short period of time even though I have left out quite a few of them. It was pretty exhausting.
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Post by bjd on Jul 25, 2021 16:17:15 GMT
What eventually happened? Did he stop sending you PMs? Why you, anyway? Did you respond nicely to his first posts?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 17:11:04 GMT
I am a very nice person.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 18:16:34 GMT
The plot thickens...
Date Posted: Mon January 30, 2006 6:53 PMpm
Thanks, once again, for the advice. Unfortunately, the stakes have dramaticly been raised. I am being trialed for a crime I haven't been charged with.
I had a friend, somewhat of a community leader, sell something for me late last year, that was kept at his house. It didn't sell, so I told him I'd sell it, and to not sell it in the meantime. I had sold it, but when I went to his business, he had sold it and refused to give me the money for it. When I asked again about the money, he produced a steel bar and came towards me. I had a keychain swiss army knife, which I held in front of me, hoping to god that it would stop him from hitting me - it did. A few days later, I'm questioned by the police about an assault charge. My father was there while i was interviewed, they then demanded he leave, then they got really nasty. They forced me to say it was a large knife and i had the intent of going in there to cause trouble. I told them "i'll say whatever you want me to say" - they didn't like that - at that stage, I would have told them the grass was pink. When they tried forcing me to recount their version of events, i fell off my chair, had chest pains, and vomited - panic attack symptoms. They turned off the interview recording, said "typical f***ing welfare recipient, guess we'll have to call the f***er an ambulance" and kicked me several times. Now, this state favours small businessmen, particularly owner-operators (the "victim") and no doubt, the fact that I'm alleged to have the same illness as "my friend" martin bryant will no doubt lessen my chances of a fair trial.
I can't believe that I'm being put on trial without being charged with a crime. That's probably the first thing that's going to happen at the trial - I'll be charged, and conditions will be set where I'm not allowed to leave the state or country. I got chest pains yesterday from just seeing a policeman at the door, letalone being accused of a crime in a court setting. Now, I think my only options, if I want to preserve my health, are to die (which wouldn't preserve my health obviously) or get the hell out of here, by febuary 23rd. The fact that I'm being sent to trial without charge could possibly push my asylum case, but like you said, Europe is no place to sleep outside during winter. Is Greece or Spain a possible destination that I could survive during the winter? I noticed that Berlin's train system shuts down for only 2 1/2 hours - 2:30am to 5am. But for any reason I couldn't sleep on trains, I'd be screwed with a capital S.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2021 18:25:26 GMT
(...)
I am suprised to the extent of the sydney rail system, but I wouldn't say i'm obsessed with rail systems. Its just interesting to see how other countries have theirs set up, and how they cope with handling lots of passengers. It just amazes me that sydney has the longest set of rail lines in the world - you can travel 300 km and still be using the same system - yet there's only 6 million people there. Anything further than that is served by a state rail service. The main reason I enquire about metro systems is, that with my sydney experience, it was the safest and cheapest place for a homeless person to sleep. When I found out that Berlin's only had a 2 hour break between services, I thought "wow, if I did have to sleep there, and it was safe, then I'd only have to stay outside for 2 hours!". Also, with sydney, tickets, for pensioners only, are about a single euro. It's just amazing that you're "allowed" to travel so far, all day, for that price - I mean, how much would it cost to travel to Burgundy, even for a low income earner?
The foreign school idea sounds great, but getting the visa for it would likely tip off the authorities that I've mentioned so many times - but probably going somewhere to improve my education, and staying on campus, would be "allowed". Heck, I'd even study - the intl computer driver's licence test seems really, really simple - a test question was like "which icon do you click to write a letter?" - there was a picture of the desktop, with shortcuts for word, my computer etc, on it.
That's the least of my problems atm though. My lawyer told me that it was unlikely that I would be restricted from leaving the state, but I "might, but hopefully not" go to jail. I said that in order to not make the police any angrier than they are already, I'd be willing to forego a trial and go straight to sentencing. I did mention the police problem, didn't I? I know my last message was hardly 12 hours ago, but I've had a lot of stuff happen. I was basicly pushed out the door when I asked questions about my original appointment to be about my being able to leave the country, and he took the only copy of my disability advocate's messages I have (on paper) along with all the questions I was going to ask about asylum and leaving the country.
I went to the doctor shortly afterwards, and it's probably just as well - upon arriving in the waiting room, I fell down, hit my head, and lost most of the control of my legs and arms. I was also unable to talk without the speech of a 5 year old. Whether this happened as a deliberate attempt to demonstrate my ability to go to court and so getting a doctors certificate, I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure that falling down, having chest pains (which have been constant for 36 hours now) and having weak arms and legs wasn't something I could do on purpouse. I think I even stated in front of my father that going overseas would be a great idea, to which he replied "you wouldn't have the money" - even if he forced me to get an ATM balance, it wouldn't show the money put on my prepaid visa card - and that in the condition I was in, I was in no position to go anywhere. However, these things only happen in this state - when I was sleeping on trains in sydney, and woken up by police, being issued fined (before the zone system was abolished) I never had anything approaching this happen. I also stated to my disability advocate that it would be improbable I could stick to a good behaviour bond here - I've had numerous "run-ins" (but "only" 3 relating to courts) with the police in the last 12 months, and once in the last 21 years previous to this order. She said that support could be used to help me maintain good behaviour, but that's exactly the thing that drives me up the wall - being patronised by carers, and having them starting arguments about my choice of food. How the heck I could convince my public trustee minders that staying here is a Very Bad Idea under those circumstances, I don't know. Also, my father gave me some blood pressure tablets - apparently people take them to become calm during stage fright, so I figured it just might work for me - 27 tablets in 36 hours haven't done a thing about my stress, but I actually managed to get 2 hour's sleep today.
I must sound like a real basket case, but all of these problems happen in this state, and none have happened in other states.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 25, 2021 19:06:58 GMT
I’m losing the will to live....
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Post by mossie on Jul 26, 2021 7:18:28 GMT
I'll join you, as I put before. Put this idiot out of his misery
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 26, 2021 8:57:48 GMT
Date Posted: Tue January 31, 2006 8:04 PMpm
I was just shaky after my legal appointment, went to see the doctor, and just lost control of my legs. I really wish I was able to enter the EU zone through schipol airport, as sleepinginairports.net have that airport in their top 10 list. Auckland is meant to be good as well, but I'm sure that due to the close ties between NZ and Aus, I could be brought back quite easily. The good thing about NZ is that australians, and only australians, are entitled to live there permanently if they don't have a criminal record - I have a police record but not a criminal one. But I don't want to be even more "out in the sticks" in international terms than what I am now. I really don't want to be in a country that supports the U.S, problems or no problems - each major player in the iraq war has had a terrorist attack, and no doubt we're next. I really wonder if the French authorities would respect my case just a little more if I was not supportive of the U.S - late last year, laws were passed here that, among other things, meant at least a 12 month prison sentence if you were to criticise the head of state - the aussie version of the patriot act. In your experience with working for an airline company, have you seen many people who have been ordered by a court to stay within a certain province/arridosment (sp?) attempting to get out of the country, and having their name on some list, thus the police stopping them from leaving? That's the situation I possibly face if I stick around for this trial to start. I'm more worried about my health than the verdict - if I have stroke like symptoms after talking to a lawyer about the incident, how on earth is my body going to react in a court setting? I guess my doctor could delay the trial for a couple of months on medical grounds, allowing me enough time to save and get out of here - one way ticket to CDG and an el cheapo channel tunnel ticket - I imagine that's acceptable as an onward ticket? I don't have a rose-coloured glasses view of Paris - certainly there's the racial violence that has happened in outlying suburbs (though they don't seem to be as far out as sydney's suburbs), and I imagine you have thugs just as you would expect in any other major city. Not to mention the red light district near the Moulin Rouge - and I've seen several (fictional) incidents of bar fights occuring in Marseiles (sp?). The worst experience you could have in Paris is definately NOT being harassed for not speaking French.
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