Sunday 22 April 2012

Killjoys…

Plain-clothed police officers are patrolling a nature reserve after complaints of illicit sexual encounters - including one which involved a man dressed in a yodelling outfit being led around on a chain.
Whatever floats your boat, I guess…
In a bid to stop people carrying out such antics, signs have also been put up by North Herts District Council at the car park forbidding anti-social behaviour.
I’d love to see the wording of that! Sadly, the ‘Mail’ doesn’t provide a picture.
Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant Jon Vine said: 'This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable in a public environment, not to mention illegal.'
What is? Dressing in a yodelling outfit? Being led on a chain?

I guess Brighton’s next ‘Pride’ event is going to have to be a rather sombre affair, then?
'We will work alongside North Herts District Council to ensure that dog walkers, walkers and families are able to use the woods and conservation area without trepidation.
'Plain clothes officers will be conducting patrols in the area over the coming months and anyone caught acting in an inappropriate manner will run the risk of arrest for outraging public decency.'
Just for dressing up like William Tell? Or indulging in a bit of master/slave roleplay?

Are we going down the route of the continental attitude that if something isn’t expressly permitted, it is forbidden?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whats a yodelling outfit?

JuliaM said...

I'm guessing no one at the local rag could spell 'lederhosen'...

Anonymous said...

Personally I'm quite happy for people to keep their sex lives private.

I'm really quite content not to know how big your alpenhorn is.

Woman on a Raft said...

Brace yourself for a big argument about hoards of photographers descending on Baldock, trying to take pictures of a Frank Ifield fan who doesn't realize the war is over and has been hiding out in Weston Woods since 1963.

"Excuse me Sir, but can I examine your camera?"
"Of course Officer, if you can tell me what law it comes under"
"I haven't the faintest idea Sir, nor do I know why I'm wearing the discarded Tufty Club costume which we used to use for road safety in the dark ages. The Sarge said it would help me blend in, but I have my doubts."

PJH said...

"I’d love to see the wording of that! Sadly, the ‘Mail’ doesn’t provide a picture."

Sorry to disappoint: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJEHOktBtgM/T5AUaa2Od0I/AAAAAAAAhrs/b7yfi01twPs/s1600/Weston%2BHills%2Bin%2BBaldock.jpg

Yank my chain said...

Just a typical revenge fetish for WWII and the EU... a lot of people would want to do similar things to the master race.

A salt and battered said...

'YohderLady, yohderLady that I love; yohderLady, der Lady....'

Was gibt, Junge?

Anonymous said...

Not so funny if you are a lone woman walking the dog and that is what is approaching you along a woodland path, which is what happened.
While the place is notorious as a "gay cruising" site, sometimes limits have to be drawn ?
It isn't a large carpark, and the picture of the sign does not show it properly.
Try google. Enter:
51.975609,-0.185437
into google maps search window and use streetview.....

Greencoat said...

No need to get cross, Beau.

blueknight said...

The old (1956) Sexual Offences Act allowed sexual acts between two consenting males, if they were over 21 and if the act took place in private.
The new (2003) Act allows sexual activity between males aged over
16yrs.
When the law was changed there was a golden opportunity to control dogging and cottaging, but apparently no one thought there would be a problem.
Me, I don't care what other people do, but I don't necessarily want to see them do it.

blueknight said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Say again, Blueknight.

Anonymous said...

"When the law was changed there was a golden opportunity to control dogging and "cottaging, but apparently no one thought there would be a problem"

Cottaging is under control, since cottaging is sex in public toilets and is illegal since 2004 when the act became law.
Dogging, which is multi-occupancy outdoor sex, is illegal under various laws....not least of which is voyeurism (sex offences act 2003), gross indecency ( Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885) and outraging public decency (common law, unlimited sentence and unlimited fine). Outraging public decency does not need to be witnessed BY any member of the public.

JuliaM said...

"I'm really quite content not to know how big your alpenhorn is."

Fnarr!

"... a Frank Ifield fan who doesn't realize the war is over and has been hiding out in Weston Woods since 1963."

:D

"Sorry to disappoint"

Ah. So it's so ambiguously worded it encompasses anything?

"Not so funny if you are a lone woman walking the dog and that is what is approaching you along a woodland path.."

As a lone woman, the sight of two gentlemen of the other persuasion getting it on wouldn't worry me too much, I have to say.

JuliaM said...

"When the law was changed there was a golden opportunity to control dogging and cottaging, but apparently no one thought there would be a problem."

Well, indeed. Or they thought it was a problem a bit too thorny to be dealing with?

Anonymous said...

Your assumption that they were "gentlemen of the other persuasion" is interesting.
Would that mean you assume that "men who like men" do not also "like women" ?
There is some research on that very subject. In BYRNE (2003) they mention such, as "men who have sex with men without identifying as gay".
A considerable sub-set of men have sex with anyone, no matter which gender they are. The police slant on it is that many men who use such sites for sex with other men are married.
So your assumption that they are/were gay, and you are ok, is a bit invalid.
I live in the area, and the "sexual detritus" around the picnic area is one reason it was removed some years ago.
Now it is back we can be regaled with used condoms, partially empty packets of sexual lubricant and used tissue paper ?

John said...

Which will go well with the local youth attempting to halt the "anti-social" practices by going into the woods to talk to the gays, armed with lengths of wood to protect themselves ?
After sitting in their cars smoking smelly tobacco to gain courage.
Both practices ignored by the local constabulary while they walk around being insulting to lone males sitting in cars....
It's OK to be 4-up in a car smoking dope, but on your own and you get made to get out, get searched and insulted.
welcome to Herts.