Thursday 2 April 2020

"I asked under what law did I have to close and they didn't know."

'When I got to the station they didn't know what to charge me with. On the board where they write things like "mugging" or "burglary", for me, they wrote something like 'shopkeeper'.
I was in a cell for a couple of hours before they let me leave. To be fair the officers in the station were great, it was just the ones who came to the shop.'
It would almost be funny, if it wasn't for the growing realisation that the police are not only ignorant of the law, but also that there's widespread confusion amongst those who are supposed to guide them in the interpretation of it!
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, whose members work for councils, and are responsible for enforcing the new rules, said: 'There does seem to some confusion over what should be closed and what shouldn't. Vaping shops are self-identifying as health care and staying open.'
If there's 'confusion', what are you doing about it?
'Our people are getting in touch with businesses to ask them what grounds they are open because there seems to be a feeling the legislation is open to misinterpretation.'
All legislation is - it needs to be tested in a court of law. You know, the ones that are scaling back right now...
'We're finding quite a few businesses open when they should be closed, and closing when we catch them and saying they will stay closed and then re-opening the next day.'
They've realised the police can't be everywhere. And are, frankly, making no attempt to be where they are most needed in favour of low-hanging fruit, like they always do...
The UK vaping industry has urged the Government to exempt its outlets, claiming it would be a counterproductive move that could place a further strain on the NHS.
Since vital services like chemotherapy appointments are being postponed in these times, they have a very good point. Do they want to be overwhelmed by people with issues caused by the closure of shops they rely on?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Like many elderly Brits, I was brought up to believe that the police were in my side as a law abiding citizen. Early in my teens, I discovered that they are not necessarily so.

For every mass murderer like Levi Bellfield who is captured to rapturous applause and much punching of the air in police stations (although followed by misery, as it is realised that lucrative overtime has now stopped - for the time being) the police like to harass ordinary citizens.Why do they go round in pairs? SO that when they make up evidence, it is supported by a police witness, and therefore cannot be refuted.

The ordinary citizen who works and pays tax isn't likely to be armed, isn't even likely to answer back, and is therefore a safe victim.

And ask yourself, why do they put camera traps to catch motorists in a 30 area withing 50 yards of the 40 sign? Because in the strictest sense it is an offence, but one that is committed harmlessly thousands of times a day, and where they know they will catch loads of motorists - sorry, will make a lot of money from fines. Everyone, apart from complete idiots, knows that although you can read a car speedo by interpolation between the divisions, it takes some concentration, and if you are reading it by a glance while looking at the road ahead, its accuracy is plus or minus one division - like any measuring instrument, anywhere - at best.

And don't get me started on their pensions.

MTG 1 said...

I felt nothing but disgust and anger upon seeing photographs of a shopkeeper who was subjected to a violent plod attack. And the poor chap was needlessly thrown to the ground purely for the purposes of debasement and humiliation. If indeed there was a 'lawful arrest', which can be seriously doubted, you can also be sure that this shopkeeper was the sort of decent citizen unlikely to struggle or offer any resistance that justifies potentially injurious plod violence. It is all too common for plod to follow up such assaults by 'accidentally' falling, plod-knee first, into the arrestee's rib cage. Such premeditated assaults are known to be lethal and should be treated as murderous attacks.

If you weren't already sure what such people are really like, COVID-19 presents the perfect opportunity for Messrs Jobsworth and Plod to leave nobody in doubt.

MTG 1 said...

I felt nothing but disgust and anger upon seeing photographs of a shopkeeper who was subjected to a violent plod attack. And the poor chap was needlessly thrown to the ground purely for the purposes of debasement and humiliation. If indeed there was a 'lawful arrest', which can be seriously doubted, you can also be sure that this shopkeeper was the sort of decent citizen unlikely to struggle or offer any resistance that justifies potentially injurious plod violence. It is all too common for plod to follow up such assaults by 'accidentally' falling, plod-knee first, into the arrestee's rib cage. Such premeditated assaults are known to be lethal and should be treated as murderous attacks.

If you weren't already sure what such people are really like, COVID-19 presents the perfect opportunity for Messrs Jobsworth and Plod to leave nobody in doubt.

The Jannie said...

At times such as these we find out that the fuzz are just another public sector employer. Nobody in charge takes on a new start who might threaten his promotion prospects in the near future and won't even consider anyone who out-qualifies him. It's even more unfortunate when the qualifications involve finding your own arse with a map and both hands . . .

Anonymous said...

We pay out millions of pounds for Police and Crime Commissioners who are supposed to be our liaison with the Police. As usual all they are doing is polishing the seat of their trousers and raking in our cash. Useless do nothing prats!

Doonhamer said...

No masks. No gloves. No max group of two. No two metre separation.
They all deserve to be arrested.
And at first sign of a cough or high temperature that shopkeeper and his staff should be on to their lawyers.

JuliaM said...

"Like many elderly Brits, I was brought up to believe that the police were in my side as a law abiding citizen. Early in my teens, I discovered that they are not necessarily so."

Welcome to the club!

"...just another public sector employer."

No longer 'special'. The binmen are, frankly, more useful.