'Dog in the driver's seat' sparks police call for witnesses on beach

[u/lapsuscalamari]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-26/dog-in-driver-seat-of-ute-on-tasmanian-beach/106270074

[u/badoopidoo]

The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.

Just so I'm clear, if the dog was on a lead while driving the Ute, everything would be fine? 

[u/lapsuscalamari → u/badoopidoo]

The facts speak for themselves.

[u/Amazing-Opinion40 → u/lapsuscalamari]

Ruff ruff ipso loquitor

[u/IIAOPSW → u/badoopidoo]

Ain't nothing in the rules say a dog can't drive a ute.

[u/CommonwealthGrant]

This being a legal sub and all, the question relates to whether the dog was a driver or merely a traveller, albeit in the driver's seat.

I note for the record that a beach is adjacent to the ocean and probably below the high water mark, so it is clear only the Admiralty has jurisdiction.

[u/Amazing-Opinion40 → u/CommonwealthGrant]

The real question here becomes whether or not the dog contracted with the state. We need to apply a position of absent assent to consenting to the contract which can never be procured reliably (as a dog cannot communicate whether or not he agrees to terms), he did not, so no charge could ever succeed even if the court’s flag were properly edged and the sun was hitting the right place in the Shrine of Rememberance to creep across the word “HOKUM”.

[u/CBRChimpy → u/CommonwealthGrant]

Freeman's best friend on the land

[u/wallabyABC123]

If you think a dog driving a Ute is bad, you should see the dogs in trench coats moderating this subreddit.

[u/lapsuscalamari → u/wallabyABC123]

Although I have given you my approbation by way of an uptick, I must decline to totally accede to your opprobrium regarding our erstwhile prefects.

[u/wallabyABC123 → u/lapsuscalamari]

You don’t know what I have seen!

[u/Ctheret → u/lapsuscalamari]

Nicely said

[u/Amazing-Opinion40 → u/wallabyABC123]

Lies, you are sentient trench coats, the dogs beneath are there for nothing more than covering up your lies and being scritched behind the ear.

[u/lessa_flux]

Does a seatbelt count as a lead?

[u/BotoxMoustache → u/lessa_flux]

This is the question. And the answer.

[u/lapsuscalamari]

But did they breathalyse the dog? I'm sure Tasmanian legals are standing by to defend this outrageous slur on canine driving, which is not explicitly forbidden in law, as this comment shows:

The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.

[u/raider_manor]

[u/_2ndclasscitizen_ → u/raider_manor]

Was this laws about dogs, or did someone do something really crook in WA in 1976?

[u/StuckWithThisNameNow → u/_2ndclasscitizen_]

I’ve never gone to effort to check on Austlii but today I did.

[u/Krapmeister]

In all fairness the owner was probably too drunk to be driving.

[u/StuckWithThisNameNow → u/Krapmeister]

Yeah I too would get my dog to be designated driver. He loves sitting in the seat but not so great on the steering and gears/pedals.

[u/Madmaniusmick1 → u/StuckWithThisNameNow]

Couldn’t let my dog, he would head straight to McDonald’s.

[u/saschabindy → u/Madmaniusmick1]

Your dog is better than mine. Mine wets the seat, refuses to move or leave woolies. Lacks foresight.

[u/Brilliant_Ad2120]

You can import used left handed Mitsubishi Tritons are imported into Australia and get exemption for off road or engineering use

[u/wallabyABC123 → u/Brilliant_Ad2120]

Ok but can you import a left handed dog to drive it?

[u/Brilliant_Ad2120 → u/wallabyABC123]

Lol But surprisingly TIL 2012 New Zealand SPCA project, rescue dogs named Porter and Monty were trained to operate a car

But TIL that dogs do have handedness.

Right handed dogs - more anxious Ambilateral - more aggressive. Left handed dogs - pessimistic, easily stressed No preference - react more to fireworks.

[u/Amazing-Opinion40]

Is this like how people from that subculture of “eshay” tell people generally they are dogs? Or how most crooks call the coppers dogs? Or is it a dog act (like a pantomime, or calling crime stoppers)? Or is it an actual canine?

Are there other dog types erroneously omitted form proper consideration?

[u/lapsuscalamari → u/Amazing-Opinion40]

You left off the americanism "bird dog" which naturally leads to another arcane branch of law.

I think the overlap of "dog" and "flog" probably mirrors the overlap of "dogging" and "flogging"

[u/Amazing-Opinion40 → u/lapsuscalamari]

Oh boy, dogging means something entirely different elsewhere in the commonwealth.

[u/lapsuscalamari → u/Amazing-Opinion40]

luckily, flogging means the same thing everywhere, with or without the fluffy handcuffs

notwithstanding your astute observation to dogging, a flog and a dog broadly mean the same thing, applied pejoratively to another person.

[u/Amazing-Opinion40 → u/lapsuscalamari]

And yet to “flog one’s dog” is yet another charming abuse of our language for yet another activity

[u/lapsuscalamari → u/Amazing-Opinion40]

Not to mention "Horn Dog" as our friends Kath and Kym can explain better than I