Raise your Pinky... by AnnD at All poetry

He thinks he’s such a big man
With his car so sleek and fast,
Racing through the city streets,
Engine roaring and horn a blast.

Acting like a racing driver,
Playing the fool to all his friends,
No regard for town speed limits,
His manly prowess to defend

But no one thinks big of you,
These stupid acts confirm he’s small,
Risking life and limb of others,
His pride surely needs a fall,

So …

As he speeds along the roadways,
And displays to all he’s such a loon,
Show contempt to this boy racer,
And raise your pinky to the hoon.

Author notes

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22586499-26103,00.html

'Little Pinky' speeding ads 'successful'
THE controversial "Little Pinky" anti-speeding ads could be the most successful road safety campaign NSW has ever had.
The advertisements, in which people wiggle their little finger at speeding male P-platers, has sparked outrage - but appears to be working, News Limited reports today.
A survey testing the ads' impact shows 63 percent of young males - the campaign's target audience - admit it encourages them to stick to the speed limit.
More than 75 percent of people believe it has increased awareness of speeding.
NSW Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal, who had been criticised with claims the ad is offensive to men, said the survey showed the Government was right to run the ads.
“If it dents a few egos but helps save lives, then it's worth it,” News Ltd quoted him as saying.

See the ad itself here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgV9Oa6z5wY

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/16/road_safety_vid/

The vid in question - dubbed "little pinkie" and part of the multi-pronged "Speeding: No one thinks big of you" media assault on motorised tearaways - shows a selection of unimpressed Sheilas waggling their little fingers in response to some automotive posturing.
As the SMH helpfully explains: "The gesture is used in youth culture to indicate a small penis."
And strewth, it appears to be working. Some Roads and Traffic Authority research found that "three-quarters of people believed the campaign increased community awareness about speeding", and "61 per cent of young males surveyed for the research believed the campaign had the power to make them think about their own driving behaviour".

Comments

1 - 17 of 17

By me, right now

Adding your comment:
michaeline
November 9, 2008

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I will surlely take this to heart and will raise my little finger when I see a person speeding.I think the advertisement will and apparently does work.Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Amunet Wolfbane
January 30, 2008

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:)):)):)) Yes, you can tell a woman wrote this one, but it is so true most the time :)) I really admire the flow of this one as well, very smooth and cheeky :D
Celticmoon
January 30, 2008

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LMAO....some just seem to think they look col and that's what all want to see. Sadly mistaken they are really, silly fool!

Keep it forever flowing!
Blessings
Bel
Ellis
December 14, 2007

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My Oh My
I don't want no tom cat fool
Tooling 'round with a small tool
Keep it in your pants, -- no rants
Through no speeding circumstance

Tiki Cat
Chief Traffic Control Design Engineer
Garbage Candy
November 21, 2007
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wow.

this was pretty sweet.

awesomeee.
PureRomance
November 19, 2007

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I love this poem. It's awesome. Keep up the amazing work and I look forward to reading more from you. God bless you in all that you do and all that you write.
Lily of the Valley
October 28, 2007

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I'll raise my pinky to speeding drivers. There are far too many of them these days. Not only do they cause havoc on the roads and put other innocent people in danger but they also push up the cost of insurance premiums for all other drivers. I like the series of Adds we have in the UK about driving, though they are very graphic and make me cringe when I see them. I also like our automatic 'slow down' signs and think they are far more effective than the plague os speed cameras and speed humps in the road.

As a learner, driver my daughter had to pay one third of the premium that she had to pay when she passed her test. When she asked why there was such a steep difference the insurance company told her it was because of the boy racers under the age of 25, so I say thank you to them for clearing out my daughters bank account of hard earned cash just because of their macho image. I hope she never gets in a car with one now that she is a careful driver in her own car.

This is a great poem which I hope helps raise awareness of such issues
catz
October 20, 2007
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An interesting campaign against speeding drivers, Ann. it seems to be getting the message across so whatever works, do it.

You've done a super job with this piece and have given a strong heads up to those who think it's cool to drive fast.

love and
Dee
I-Like-Rhymes
October 19, 2007

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Being an old fashioned guy who believed that the raised pinkie was simply a sign of refinement in table manners I find its modern usage coarse and unsettling.
However if the campaign works then Good Luck to it.
One thing it obviously has done is to excite your muse and produce this nice little piece of verse.
Jim
BTW what is the equivalent for little girl racers
leander
October 19, 2007

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It's ridiculous how some actually think they are cool by driving around their cars with way too much speed.
Someone I know from going out died last week, because such a person drove at 120 km/h (where speed limit was 70 km/h) in the back of his car... 25 year old he was, poor guy

on top of that, the hitting driver was drunk

A great message you're spreading here sweety - hopefully it will open some of these guys their eyes if they stumble upon this
Lyndon
October 19, 2007
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Right on, Ann
Their honking gets to me, too. I call it "The mating call of the long-haired gits!"
Chuck Johnson
October 18, 2007
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Rebuttal....lol
And as she raises her pinky
she is thinking to herself
Wow, what a hunk
It's me I wish he would help

Help me to understand
how such a hunk of a man
in a short time
could be mine

Look at that car...
Wowzers!
I live for that ride
Honey, from you I would never hide
snk
October 18, 2007

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=)
Absolutely love this.
I don't know how I could've missed this piece of news, but thanks for sharing. I'm new to driving, and those who speed are so frustrating.
Kudos!
Kari
October 18, 2007
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" You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. " ~ Dr. Seuss
Though we may have those a lot of people for sure steer themselves the wrong way and sadly making themselves look like fools in the end.
Raven Tears
October 18, 2007

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I watched this on TV when it was on and all I have to say to this is, "Exactly!"
All those "fully sick" idiots in their "fully sick" cars, should read this,because it's them in a nutshell.
Those people annoy me, although I've had them honk their horns etc, not because they thought something of me but just to try and throw things at me cause "ooh I'm a scary Gothic."
I got them back good though, I threw damn rocks at the car.
Anywho, I'm going a little off topic, sorry.
Thankyou for sharing this.
Love and Light.

~Raven Tears~ (Tamara)
@}~~~{~~~
Ithica
October 18, 2007
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Such a simple gesture, can pack a hefty wallop! We also used the pinky to signify that "certain something" was small. This could be the underlying cause for some males that need to overcompensate with dangerous pusuits. Or maybe they are only small-minded. If it works to send the desired message, kudos indeed.
suseann
October 18, 2007

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Excellent idea! And this poem is as well.Bruised egos they can deal with. Death and lifelong guilt they can not. Kudos to the intellects whose idea this was!