I can hardly believe this wasn't already banned

[oraclesmith]

Well in my opinion it's an obvious and sensible move.

Why should we put up with people drinking on the streets (and I don't mean in street cafes BTW) or on public transport ?

[Board Game Geek]

Rantor piffled : Thats right - legislate, regulate and extend the remit the myriad state proxies in the name of the greater good - couldn't be any more New Labour if he tried

Have you ever travelled sober on a night bus? Its generally not the most relaxing of experiences; rarely a can in sight but an endless supply of blootered crazies. The police already have the powers to deal with public order offences - this will do nothing to address public safety.

Rantor...let's just forget for a moment about political parties and focus on the issue at hand.

Problem

Certain elements of society are using public transport whilst intoxicated and posing a Health and Safety Risk to themselves and to fellow passengers. Whilst intoxicated, they may act in a threatening manner and verbally and / or physcially assaults innocents.

Possible Solutions

Put a conductor on each form of public transport to maintain order, and throw the yobs off. Would be too expensive, and also may lay the transport company open to potential legal action from a person man-handled off the form of transport.

Breathalise every passenger before they alight. Impractical.

Put a police officer on each form of public transport to maintain order, and throw the yobs off. Would be hideously expensive and Rantor would complain of a Police State anyway.

Tell people in the papers and on telly that drinking and getting paralytic in public is "not cool". Won't work. People don't like being told what they can and cannot do. Very few people care about moral decency these days. I think Rantor would be the first to complain about being "nannied".

I'm not suggesting that making it a crime and legislating will stop it overnight, but it will provide a legal recourse to use if someone does get arrested.

Rules and regulations fall in to many catergories, and some are vital and others just plainly stupid. However, on the balance of it, this would seem to be aimed at protecting passengers and making life just that little bit more difficult for the thugs.

We all laughed tonight about "Michael" from the Apprentice, a "good jewish boy" who didn't know the difference between "kosher" and "halal" meat.

Considering Michael studied "Classics" at University, and is supposed to be intelligent and aware of cultures (not least his own), does it come as any suprise that if he knows diddly squat, then the local Chav's where I live who hang around the car park smoking skunk and drinking Stella have no idea that their behaviour is "wrong" ?

You may say : "Be careful, the UK is sleepwalking in to a Police State"

I'd say :"Sleepwalking yes. But we have woken up and discovered we're a bunch of retards".

[Rantor]

Rantor...let's just forget for a moment about political parties and focus on the issue at hand.

Problem

Certain elements of society are using public transport whilst intoxicated and posing a Health and Safety Risk to themselves and to fellow passengers. Whilst intoxicated, they may act in a threatening manner and verbally and / or physcially assaults innocents.

I'm not suggesting that making it a crime and legislating will stop it overnight, but it will provide a legal recourse to use if someone does get arrested.

Rules and regulations fall in to many catergories, and some are vital and others just plainly stupid. However, on the balance of it, this would seem to be aimed at protecting passengers and making life just that little bit more difficult for the thugs.

....................

I'd say :"Sleepwalking yes. But we have woken up and discovered we're a bunch of retards".

At the risk of further piffling (oh, I felt proper chastised when I read that), you have not said anything that explains how this measure is going to improve public safety other than people wont be offended by the sight of someone drinking.

In other parts of the country, it has always been illegal to drink in public and it certainly has done nothing to curtail ant-social behaviour.

My problem with this is that it does not address any problem other than the new mayor's need to be seen to 'do something' plus incrementally moving the state/individual relationship a bit further in the direction its been going for a good few years.

I can't be bothered to check the quote at the end (maybe its a BGG original), but it means less than nothing in this context though maybe you can shed some light on this?

Instead of watching the Apprentice, maybe you could get a Judge Dredd costume made up and start sorting this stuff out good and proper

[Mailman]

Where do you live? Do you mind if we ahem 'adjust' the council tax appropriately to fund this excellent suggestion?

I dont mind if you adjust my council tax, instead of spending £20mil on translation services they could readjust the budget to spend an extra £20mil on policing!

You see, this is the problem with you poms. Your only solution to everything is taxation!

Problem solved.

Peow peow!

Mailman

[SueEllen]

At the risk of further piffling (oh, I felt proper chastised when I read that), you have not said anything that explains how this measure is going to improve public safety other than people wont be offended by the sight of someone drinking.

Bus drivers already had the right to refuse to allow you on board the bus if you were openly drinking.

This change makes little difference as the only people I've seen openly drinking from beer cans/bottles on public transport are:
1. Alcoholics who noone would sit near anyway
2. Young Australians who weren't actually drunk and where not causing a nuisance
3. Groups of students who are obviously on a pub crawl or hen/stag parties who are just loud whether they have alcohol with them or not.

There is nothing stopping people drinking in other containers. I know because I've done it in my youth - vodka and coke in a coke bottle.