Now here's a funny thing...did you know that there are over 700 "controlled drinking zones" in the UK?
No, I didn't either until I read this in yesterday's Times.
Nanny is so pleased with her little wheeze, that she is adding to them on an almost daily basis.
The trouble is that these zones don't seem to be sensibly targeted at those who are out of their boxes and causing a nuisance, but instead are targeted at people who are just having a quiet drink in the park or on the beach.
Indeed in some cases, as Dan Travis of Brighton discovered, people are being stopped and asked to dispose of their booze down the drain; even though the cans are unopened and they are walking down the street from the off licence from whence they have purchased them.
Here's where it gets interesting, for me anyway, The Times says that police in Brighton and Hove (where I live) appear to be the most energetic in the country. Their 45 community support officers are making 25 confiscations a week.
Seemingly Brighton has a zero public drinking policy city wide. This is news to me, as I have had on several occasions had a few on the beach and in the park (picnicking peacefully with Eva).
The trouble with our zealous "chums" from Nanny's Brighton zero drinking patrols is that whilst they may be very "brave" and zealous, when targeting non trouble making picnickers etc, they haven't lifted a finger (as far as I can see) against the hardcore piss heads who roam certain streets/areas of Brighton (eg London Road, St James Road and the Level) who are bloody trouble makers and are at times aggressive/threatening.
Why is that then???
As ever with Nanny's rules, she only bothers to implement them against those of us who are law abiding and compliant.
Suffice to say I will continue to drink on Brighton beach and in Brighton's parks etc, and suggest that the rest of you do too.
Why don't we have a day of national public drinking, and reclaim the parks and beaches?
BTW, Brighton is a Tory council. Here is the email address of the council leader, if you want to discuss this policy, Mary.Mears@brighton-hove.gov.uk
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Ken,
ReplyDeleteBrighton is a strange place and from many news reports I have read over the years, Nanny does appear to have a real supporter in Brighton's local authority.
Most town centres are "controlled drinking zones" these days and as appears to be the case in Brighton, our plastic pretend Police seem to only be able to lecture ordinary people rather than the aggressive piss heads.
If I was carrying an unopened bottle or can of booze in my own town centre, there is no way I would empty it down a drain nor quietly pay a Kerching on a jumped up little jobsworth or PCSO's say so!!
In Norwich there are plans to close Prince Of Wales Road to most traffic on Friday & Saturday evenings. This is to allow the pissed up clubbers "More Space" in the hope that they won't bump in to one another and start fighting.
ReplyDeleteSo, once again, the law abiding majority will suffer to accommodate the few...
I'm a bit concerned about that picture - is the guy in the background playing a guitar, or was he about to hit you with a club?
ReplyDelete"The trouble with our zealous "chums" from Nanny's Brighton zero drinking patrols is that whilst they may be very "brave" and zealous, when targeting non trouble making picnickers etc, they haven't lifted a finger (as far as I can see) against the hardcore piss heads who roam certain streets/areas of Brighton (eg London Road, St James Road and the Level) who are bloody trouble makers and are at times aggressive/threatening.
ReplyDeleteWhy is that then???"
The answer, Ken, to use Nanny's phrase, is 'policing by consent'. What this means, is that law-abiding citizens are routinely picked on for minor or non-existent offences, since they tend to cooperate with the police and other forms of officialdom; meanwhile, real criminals and the scum such as you refer to, are left alone as at best they will respond with '**** off!' and probably physically attack whoever has had the timerity to suggest that their behaviour is unacceptable, safe in the knowledge that, in the unlikely event they are ever taken to court, some bleeding heart, state paid for liberal lawyer and a soft judge will ensure that they receive the minimum 'punishment' possible.
Agreed, living not far from Brigthon in the 'gay' (in the old fashioned meaning of the word) seaside town of Eastbourne and having been dragged to the hideous Brighton shopping centre on many times, I find the level of piss artistry and aggression from said experts of the Tennants Super and White Lightning persuasion is high and goes unpoliced.
ReplyDeleteDare say if I took a swig of champers on the seafront with my bowl of jellied eels - the two do go together rather nicely as it happens - the full force of nanny's nylon vest fetishists would be brought to bear.
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ReplyDeleteKen, As I read it, these are not "no drink" zones.
ReplyDeleteIf you read nannies 'little notice' it says 'you must not continue drinking when asked to stop'. They are acting outside the law by doing anything to do with unopened cans/bottles or arresting people if they have not been spoken to first.
The only "offence" is to - NOT stop drinking when asked to do so.
Still a load bollocks!!!