Boris's ban on alcohol on London Transport (with poll)

[editor]

Thank heavens Boris is getting stuck into the really important issues!

Apparently, we can expect drinking on the tube (and, presumably buses) to be banned within a few days.

So there goes one of life's harmless little pleasures.

Travellers will be banned within days from drinking alcohol on the Tube and the recruitment of 440 extra police officers to patrol trains and station platforms will begin this week. Work will also begin on installing airport-style hand-held scanners and knife arches in stations

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...or-821117.html

[nipsla]

Thank heavens Boris is getting stuck into the really important issues!

Apparently, we can expect drinking on the tube (and, presumably buses) to be banned within a few days.

So there goes on of life's harmless little pleasures.

I have to say that I'd much rather he banned people eating KFC/Burger King on the tube

Generally (in my experience) I've not really come across much trouble from people drinking on the tube/busses. Pissed people yes, but generally they weren't drinking at the time.

[Johnny Canuck3]

It's been legal to drink alcohol on public transport up to the ;present!!??

[editor]

I have to say that I'd much rather he banned people eating KFC/Burger King on the tube

Aye. If he'd come up with a kebab/stinky food ban, I might have been up for it, but the vast majority of people having a can on their way home from work/out for the night are usually no bother at all.

There's enough pissed arseholes on the tube late at night, but the ban isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference to their behaviour.

It's been legal to drink alcohol on public transport up to the ;present!!??

Yes. And it's been great.

[scifisam]

What a wonderful use of public funds.

[FridgeMagnet]

Thank heavens Boris is getting stuck into the really important issues!

Apparently, we can expect drinking on the tube (and, presumably buses) to be banned within a few days.

So there goes on of life's harmless little pleasures.

What an immense sucker of scabby dogs' cocks the man is.

[Kid_Eternity]

The rest of that article is interesting, especially the ending. There's a hint of the line of attack regarding minority ethnic people and the inner city to come...

[Johnny Canuck3]

Drinking in a public place has always been illegal here. People are rude, inconsiderate and loud enough on buses, etc, without allowing them to swill alcohol during the ride.

[scifisam]

Drinking in a public place has always been illegal here. People are rude, inconsiderate and loud enough on buses, etc, without allowing them to swill alcohol during the ride.

It really is not a big issue here at all. The problems with drunks on the tube have nothing to do with allowing drinking on there - they're pretty much always drunk before they get on.

[Harold Hill]

I actually support this. Greasy food and phones playing music next please.

[Johnny Canuck3]

It really is not a big issue here at all. The problems with drunks on the tube have nothing to do with allowing drinking on there - they're pretty much always drunk before they get on.

The cops used to turn a blind eye to public drinking, and the level of public disorder was way higher.

They now have a zero tolerance policy, and the public events etc, go off without a hitch in the vast majority of cases.

[FridgeMagnet]

I think we already had a big thread about it where the whole issue was explored... but generally, if you're actually _drinking_ on the tube, you're not a problem, yes. You'd have to be on a pretty bloody long tube ride to actually get pissed and obnoxious by drinking on the tube, even allowing for signal failures and diversions to a place you never bloody wanted to go.

[Dhimmi]

The rest of that article is interesting, especially the ending. There's a hint of the line of attack regarding minority ethnic people and the inner city to come...

Hang on, won't the Muslim community be delighted with this? It'll just fly through too, whereas had Ken done this it'd be attracting the usual flak...

[Johnny Canuck3]

Is this one of Boris' ideas?

Sounds like the man has his head properly screwed on, if this is an example.

[scifisam]

This isn't public drinking - this is drinking on the tube specifically. You don't often see people drinking on the tube anyway - it's not an issue worth spending so much money on. It's not going to lead to a reduction in crime levels, as is claimed.

It'd be a sad day if public drinking were banned outright, for events like the New Year's fireworks and so on.

[Kid_Eternity]

Hang on, won't the Muslim community be delighted with this? It'll just fly through too, whereas had Ken done this it'd be attracting the usual flak...

Time will tell. I've been wondering the past few days how various agendas are going to attempt to attack, destabilise and in time unseat him.

[Johnny Canuck3]

This isn't public drinking - this is drinking on the tube specifically..

Here, a bus or subway car is defined as a 'public place'.

[scifisam]

I think we already had a big thread about it where the whole issue was explored... but generally, if you're actually _drinking_ on the tube, you're not a problem, yes. You'd have to be on a pretty bloody long tube ride to actually get pissed and obnoxious by drinking on the tube, even allowing for signal failures and diversions to a place you never bloody wanted to go.

Yup. This, I expect, if one of the reasons that it is so rare to see drinking on the tube - it's not worth the effort.

[Johnny Canuck3]

Yup. This, I expect, if one of the reasons that it is so rare to see drinking on the tube - it's not worth the effort.

Then you won't miss it if it's made illegal.

[pogofish]

It's been legal to drink alcohol on public transport up to the ;present!!??

This is up to the individual local authority here. Some places have had it banned for years, others not.

[editor]

Drinking in a public place has always been illegal here. People are rude, inconsiderate and loud enough on buses, etc, without allowing them to swill alcohol during the ride.

Except that the vast majority of annoying drunks on the tube are already drunk so this law won't make a tot of difference.

Hardly anyone drinks on the tube and causes problems. It's just typical clueless Tory empty tubthumping (see: the CJA for more of the same).

[FridgeMagnet]

By the way, the worst place I've been for pissed up annoying people on public transport has been Baltimore, where they have public drinking ordinances. Whenever I got on the damn bus there always seemed to be someone stinking of booze next to me, rambling on. For what it's worth.

(I like Baltimore by the way, nothing against the place.)

[Johnny Canuck3]

Except that the vast majority of annoying drunks on the tube are already drunk so this law won't make a tot of difference.

Hardly anyone drinks on the tube and causes problems. It's just typical clueless Tory empty tubthumping (see: the CJA for more of the same).

As you know, alcohol is cumulative. If you have a 40 minute tube trip plus a walk before you get to the soccer game, you'll already be on your way to sobering up.

Not the same if you drink right up to the stadium gates.

[Johnny Canuck3]

This is up to the individual local authority here. Some places have had it banned for years, others not.

I suppose that's true here, too, which is why in the Mormon-controlled prairie towns, there is no alcohol at all.

[JHE]

I don't care about the (rather pointless) ban on drinking on the Tube, but the plan to have "440 extra police officers to patrol trains and station platforms" sounds OK. They will be welcomed by many people - especially by the people (many of them women) who feel that the Tube is not safe at night.