Last Call for Alcohol

I’m glad drinking has been banned on the Underground. There, I said it.

However, Boris’ decision to outlaw pissed-up ravers from sucking down tinnies on the Tube has been met with some well-deserved hoots of derision.

Before you call me out for being contradictory, I say the collective “Oh no he didn’t” was ‘well-deserved’ because there are going to be a whole heap of problems policing the new Tube order, namely: exactly how the hell will the staff stop people from doing this? Stevie Wonder can see that just shoving a law into being without due consideration for how it would be enforced will end in tears before bedtime.

Of course, there was the obligatory partay, the "Last Round on the Circle Line", last Saturday night, to celebrate the last night of freedom. The intention was to have a civilised drink – LOL – then everyone would toddle off home. Riiight.

According to the Indy:

“[…]Police arrested 17 people for a range of public order offences and closed six Underground stations, with several trains taken out of service because of vandalism. The Circle line was suspended for a time.

Four train drivers and three other London Underground staff were assaulted, with another 50 further staff verbally abused or spat at. A police vehicle had its tyres slashed, two officers were assaulted and another was injured.”

Civilised drinking in London? On a Saturday night? The organiser (a right little banker – Alexandre Graham of the Royal Bank of Scotland, to be precise) must not have been in this city long. You’ve got more chance of conjuring up a golden unicorn – at least you can buy a horse and paint it.

So what else transpired, aside from the good old standby - abusing public servants -and general naughtiness? Well, honourable mentions have to go to the inevitable litter, rivers of vomit, the vandalism and broken glass, and even some dude in a Star Wars costume pissing onto electrified tracks. Tragically, he survived.

Considering that these things happen even without beverages of mass consumption I’m all for ways of reducing anti-social behaviour (Tasering is my current favourite). I don’t want to be harassed, have my new shoes puked on, or be on a hot and crowded train when the emergency alarm is pulled, because some drunken dumbarse decides to partake in dumbarsery.

So yeah, I appreciate what Boris is trying to do (I didn’t vote for him so none of this BS is my fault anyway) but you have to agree: anything that makes London a slightly safer, slightly less garbage-ridden and anti-social place can’t be all bad.

Source: Independent Online