But a council spokesman said: ‘We do reserve the right to ask people what they are doing in the park.Make no mistake – this is what really irks the petty little gauleiters that have slowly but surely taken over our councils. And they are winning in their efforts to ensure that we no longer have the right to come and go and do as we please. Plus, we’re paying their salaries and inflated pensions while they do it.
Otherwise it’s a free-for-all where they can come and do what they want.’
Are they mad? Or are we…?
More to the point, what would a 'free for all' in a park look like? What are they afraid's going to happen?
ReplyDeleteWater fights, perhaps...?
ReplyDeleteOf course, up North, they have more serious park-related issues to worry about.
*expanding that passage from the Metro paper*:
ReplyDeleteBut a council spokesman said: "We do reserve the right to ask people what they are doing in the park. Otherwise it's a free-for-all where the can come and dowhat they want."
Um...yes? Otherwise what is the point of me paying my council tax in order to keep public parks functioning and people like him in business?
Problem is not just secluded to Bradford - there are many public parks in Leeds that are now too dangerous to go at night; the majority of our youth group live next to one of these and are frequently assaulted with little being done.
It strikes me that this council spokesman would be better suited to being a night guard at one of these places; they might find more to complain about as they obviously have too much time on their hands already.
Hmm, think I'll go for a walk in Telford at the weekend with my ghetto blaster.
ReplyDeleteNow, where's that Gary Glitter CD...
Anon. Just in case Jacqui Smith is reading...
I go drinking in the park with some mates of mine, & to the best of my knowledge we have never done any harm to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI could not believe my eyes when I read this. I threw the paper away in disgust, which I now regret, because I'd really like to vent my spleen about it.
ReplyDeleteThat quote did amaze me as well. It's a pity that Metro's articles aren't always online, but you can usually find a very similar article in its sister paper, The Daily Hatemail, here, for example, albeit without the 'free for all' comment.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes for LondonLite - you can usually find the same article on the Evening Standard or failing tbat, the Daily Hatemail website. And sometimes the same article crops up in all four papers.