We often think of Australians as happy, tanned, sporty people living on the beach and putting shrimp on their barbies.
They are, apparently, much more hardened to the violence and gore of modern life than we thought.
They are, apparently, much more hardened to the violence and gore of modern life than we thought.
Right now, Sydney is hosting the annual gay and lesbian Mardi Gras festival. Statistics initially showed decreased numbers of violent assaults compared to previous festivals. However, it appears that the decreased frequency of assaults has been balanced out by the sheer brutality of the attacks.
In the above photo, from the Sydney Daily Telegraph, we see the 4 Seasons Chicken Spot, on the corner of Bayswater Road and Darlinghurst Road. According to local dining reviews, "this is the king of all late night hangouts. It's hard to explain how popular this place is. When you've exhausted all options of semi healthy places to eat, this joint … is packed to the rafters with drunk dickheads and arrogant British males, snapping up every type of mystery kebab and snacks that kind of resemble food. Very scary food, so this should be your absolute last resort."
I heartily agree. In this establishment, apparently minutes before this photo was taken, a 25-year-old man was slashed in the throat by an unidentified male. "There was a pretty huge Tongan Samoan bloke and a little fella," a witness who gave her name only as Jamie said. "The little fella smashed a bottle and he slashed the Tongan across the neck. It cut an artery and the blood was spurting."
Another woman applied towels to the victim's neck to stem the bleeding until he was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital. The wound required 35 stitches. Police spoke to him briefly yesterday but he was still under sedation. His attacker, described as in his late 20s to early 30s, Middle Eastern or Islander in appearance with balding or short hair, was still on the run last night.
What's amazing is that the kebab shop continued to serve customers despite the fact that their entire restaurant was covered in blood. Do you see any evidence of mopping? I don't. All I see is a gory linoleum floor and a blood-spattered sneeze guard, the presence of which doesn't make me feel any better about the food under it.
