Wirral Council said: ‘It was not a task we wanted to do, but we had been ordered by the police as the apples have been used as weapons. Children had been throwing them at members of the public, cars, our gardening team when trying to cut the grass and even police.’I don't suppose you thought about maybe laughing in their faces, telling them they had no power whatsoever to compel you, and suggesting they do their job..?
But then 'doing a thorough job' seems alien to council officials too...
It added: ‘We understand comments made by members of the public, and cutting the tree down was the last resort.’
All that remains of the tree, which is close to a war memorial, is a stump, but the council said it would be replaced in the coming months.The stump? Or the tree?
Meanwhile, in Essex:
Sightings of clowns have been reported around the country and reports on social media suggest they have been spotted in Basildon and Southend.
In Wills Hill, Stanford-le-Hope, two youths have been arrested for a public order offence and had their costumes confiscated.Tough on clowns, tough on the causes of clowns...
The world will be unsafe until all trees have been cut down. Horse-chestnuts with their conkers are especially dangerous at this time of year. All nut trees, natch, plus pears (& apples of course), etc.
ReplyDeleteBut what about the shops? Some of the innocuous items they sell could be used as missiles, so no more bottles or cans may be sold. Or fruit - I'm told some irresponsible shops sell apples, obviously in flagrant disregard of the council's ban.
Will these council/police cretins reconsider their "cart before the horse" stupidity?
Having dealt, on more than one occasion, with traffic collisions caused by children throwing apples (windfalls) at cars, and subsequent injuries, I can understand the concern shown by Police and the council. The problem is that once such a collision or injury occurs, the kids do a starburst and it's impossible to find or identify them. One method would have been to have the tree denuded of apples but that won't solve the problem in the long term. Perhaps a little notice by the stump explaining why the tree was cut down and suggest the parents of the kids involved should bear some responsibility due to their lack of parenting skills. I grew up in an area of the north east where windfalls was one of the primary sources of vitamin C and we took them home (even the bruised ones) for our Mam to cook rather than waste them by using them as ammunition.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
What is probably out of Savage's league, calls for the dedication of constable Rodrigo Duterte. A tactical nuclear device detonated immediately over the trouble spot should be far more effective than indiscriminate carpet-bombing. It's the only way to be sure.
ReplyDeleteA notice by the stump. I'm sure that will fix it.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is plod should clamp down on these hooligans regardless of them starbusting. They will know some of the names and because we have CCTV everywhere, got on pointing in my face atm, they can trace them and get them punished.
The best way to fix this is change the law so that if someone throws something at your car you can run the little fucker over. Attrition should sort it out.
"Nuclear bombs", "running kids over" - what sort of planet do these people live on? In real life, there is no easy solution to anti-social behaviour such as this. CCTV isn't everywhere and 'Plod' The parents, SJWs and the courts will always bleat, "They're only kids. They didn't mean any harm" which will certainly appease the car drivers who face increased insurance premiums or injuries. Perhaps educating the kids, and parents,regarding consequences may help, though it has rarely worked in the past. The chopping down of the tree may have been the only sensible recourse and those campaigning can be told the reason why. There is also the danger to those adults who try to stop the kids, as allegations of "He touched me where he shouldn't" will no doubt he forthcoming. Solution? Sensible answers only, please.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
easier to catch motorists wi me speed gun cos them kids is fast has lightening
ReplyDeleteIn Wills Hill, Stanford-le-Hope, two youths have been arrested for a public order offence and had their costumes confiscated.
ReplyDeletePlod will be overun on Halloween................
And this one has been terryfying us for some time.................
ReplyDeletehttp://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/40/590x/Eddie-Izzard-698852.jpg
If there is a drive to arrest clowns then I say let's start with the buggers that infest Westminster.
ReplyDeleteAs for the apple thing - I'm with Lord T.
In reply to the post at 08.23. I retired 8 years ago and Halloween was long before that time one of the busiest nights of the year. I believe it is now second only to NYE in terms of call volume and is ahead of St Patricks day as a s**t generator. I make no comment about the importation of American customs to this country but I do sit back and wonder at the hysteria generated by the press. Mind you, without clowns what would Julia's preferred news source have to report on? It's not as if anything else is happening that might be of more importance.
ReplyDeleteRetired
"Horse-chestnuts with their conkers are especially dangerous at this time of year. "
ReplyDeleteBut a boon if you don't like spiders! :)
"Perhaps a little notice by the stump explaining why the tree was cut down and suggest the parents of the kids involved should bear some responsibility..."
You're assuming they can READ...?
"The best way to fix this is change the law so that if someone throws something at your car you can run the little fucker over. "
But I just had mine washed!
"The chopping down of the tree may have been the only sensible recourse..."
I think 'practical', maybe, but 'sensible'? Very much not the case.
"Plod will be overun on Halloween................"
Quite!
"...I do sit back and wonder at the hysteria generated by the press. "
They are behind the curve, Retired - social media has driven this one.