Irresponsible blogger should put up or shut up

Media Release

Newmarket Business Association

9 June 2008

Irresponsible blogger should put up or shut up

The head of the Newmarket Business Association has shot down spurious suggestions made by blogger “Whaleoil” that members of the public should help themselves to “free parking” in one particular carparking building in Newmarket.

“Whaleoil is out of control and his suggestions to misuse parking cards are unhelpful and are simply not valid. This man purports to be a supporter of free enterprise and user-pays but on this occasion he has been completely irresponsible,” said a visibly angry general manager of the Newmarket Business Association, Cameron Brewer.

“Instead of hiding behind his Commodore 64 and tapping away in his lowly-lit far East Auckland bedroom every night in his dressing gown, I challenge Whaleoil to publish his hourly musings on paper and subject himself to the country’s defamation laws and public scrutiny. Or even better still why not put his opinions out to the news media every day and see what pick up he gets. We know he can supply his opinions but let’s see if there’s any real public demand for his highly self-regarded pearls of wisdom.”

Mr Brewer slammed Whaleoil’s recent blogging on how to get free parking in Newmarket as outrageous and plain wrong.

Whaleoil claims that in one Newmarket carparking building that offers the first 30 minutes free, people leaving can easily just get a fresh ticket which will get them out for free.

“However here’s the catch. I understand that the person would have to be at least over 150kgs to trigger the weight sensors which in turn trigger the ticket dispenser. For Whaleoil to be able to get a free ticket he must be mistaken for a small vehicle. He must be at least the size of a motorbike with an average size adult aboard.”

Mr Brewer says that the carparking facility is reviewing its security, and says there are security cameras looking over the ticket dispenses and exit points.

“It is now time for this man to apologise to the people of Newmarket for promoting dishonesty and to the public of Auckland for misleading them, albeit that there might be some free parking for obese people, but they probably have access to our disabled parks anyway,” said Cameron Brewer.

Ends 

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