Disrespecting public spaces undermines community trust; laws are vital for a civilised society’s smooth functioning.
We would bet that the person having fun ripping up a public park in Benoni by doing some “drifting” in his expensive double-cab bakkie often sits down with his mates to complain about “shocking crime in South Africa”.
Sorry, boet – and we say that in the conviction that this juvenile is more than likely to be male – what you did is a crime.
Not just on a moral basis, but on a legal one, because the Benoni municipal bylaws prohibit driving vehicles in public parks.
The fact that you did it at night, when you thought your misdeeds would be hidden under the cover of darkness, is just confirmation that you’re a low-life who doesn’t care about the community around you.
Sure, you can say: No-one died. And you’d be correct.
But why should laws only be made to apply to capital crimes?
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You may not think so, but the smooth functioning of any society relies on a set of rules, which should be enforced without fear or favour.
When that happens, people will respect their neighbours and everyone will have a reasonable expectation of how others will behave.
That is what makes you civilised… not your ability to pay for an expensive toy
