Withdraw free travel from thugs!

2008-05-05T19:43:22Z

Okay – I’ll admit it – this thread is basically to say what a wanker Boris is. Not for any particularly political reason, nor because he looks a twat, but because I believe he’s a liability, especially in London.

One of BJ’s (Ironic initials, dontcha think?) announcements is that “thugs” on the London Transport system will have their free travel Oyster cards withdrawn. Do you think any of them realised that they actually had this facility in the first place? Will it make a blind bit of difference to their mode of travel? Oh – and they’ll be ‘made’ to clean up graffitti before they get their pass back. Gosh! We’ll be seeing a massive turnaround in crime in the capital now, won’t we? They’ll be quaking in their shoes! (to quote Billy Connolly).

Then we’ve got hand-held scanners and knife arches at every station in Central London. Now, I’ve only been a commuter for – ooh, 27 years – but this is hardly going to reduce anything, is it? Certainly not queues. I actually think that the Oyster card was a good invention and has generally speeded up ingress and exit at stations. I think Mr Livingstone (perhaps in his previous role) simplified London Transport travel charging incredibly, but maybe that should be a separate thread. Anyway, back to the plot. So – we’re all going to have to go through these arches and then get our laptops/blackberries/mobiles/flick-knives out as we travel the Tube. That’s hardly going to lead to delays, is it?

Then he announces that he’s going to save money by cutting the media budget of LT. No, on the surface of this, I probably have no problem. The number of crap ads I’ve seen, trying to convince people to use LT when the majority don’t have a fucking choice in the first place. What’s more, given the goofy photos we’ve seen of him in his first day in office, I would sack his PR people first.

Ohhhh, I could go on….

And I shall. Sorry. If he wants to turn up on Bank Holiday Monday to start his new campaign, fine. But why should all his staff turn up? Especially as, I’m sure, a lot of them are just stuck there because that’s their job.

I’d better stop here because I’m sure this start of a new conversation is too long already but hopefully other people will pick up on his bollocks about the congestion charge or why he thinks Kensington and Chelsea should be exempt (nothing to do with them being safe Tory seats, surely…)

Shutting up…

2008-05-05T19:53:36Z

Please excuse my comment about being a commuter for 27 years. It’s a complete non-sequitor in that paragraph. I’d just become all Daily Mail at that point.

I’m sure there are other errors too. WTF – It’s a Bank Holiday Monday.

2008-05-05T21:48:31Z

This calls for sme informed debate; someone who can put the other side of the argument clearly and reasonably. I know! The_Saint!

The-Saint, do you know anyone who can put the other side of the argument clearly and reasonably?

2008-05-06T08:30:37Z

Boris Watchers

2008-05-06T10:18:56Z

That blog’s second post quotes Boris’s “flag waving picaninies” reference as an example of his supposed bigotry. Now, I’m not saying that he isn’t a bigot, but that quote is taken out of context and in context it is absolutely not bigoted. Which tends to suggest that this blog will be the usual, biased load of old shite that most political blogs ultimately are.

2008-05-06T10:36:00Z

I agree that that quote was taken out of context, but I thought he dwelt on the metaphor a bit too much for my liking. However, he is quoted by Rod Liddle as cracking a joke while in Uganda: “Come on, let’s get out and see some piccaninnies.” Again, not meant with any direct malice I’m sure, but really bad taste. Bit like Ken and the concentration camp guard comment – not proof that Ken is an anti-Semite but equally bad taste.

2008-05-06T10:41:41Z

The thugs plan applies to teenagers who get free travel – yes, the kidz do know they have it and yes, they’ll probably be angry if Boris takes it away. Leaving them to fume with their dogs at the bus stop, I suppose.

Scanners at tube stations – not going to happen. Feel free to resurrect this post and laugh if it does. Way too expensive. Too many queues. Crime on transport not being a massive problem compared to crime in the rest of the city. A more effective measure would be to scan people for knives as they get OFF the Tube and start roaming the streets.

2008-05-06T10:44:40Z

Yes, but bad taste, in my opinion, is a world removed from bigotry proper. Perhaps it could be indicative of possible underlying bigotry, but that’s little more than speculation.

So, uh, anyway, what is Boris planning to do vis a vis Routemasters? Anyone?

resumes taking entries for the “When will the Boris-induced conflagration of London occur” sweepstakes

2008-05-06T11:03:48Z

I have managed to procure some secret blueprints drawn up by the BJ team of possible successors to the original Routemaster…

....if someone just teaches me how to host images on this thing. Soz.

2008-05-06T15:49:09Z

I thought that teens who get ‘free transport’ got their cards taken away for bad behaviour, on the buses anyway.

Images on this site – [img src=”http://www.whatever.com/image.gif” width=140 height=100]

Just replace the [] with <>

I’m just back from a 3 day break, no news/TV/mobile/laptop – so hearing that Boris got in was a bit of a shock, fully expected Ken to get in. Ah well, not a lot we can do about it now, will have to see how things go.

2008-05-06T16:01:09Z

I find Boris strangely attractive but he can only do his worst for London. Take away free bus travel out of school hours, yes it will affect the good ones blah, blah but the good ones don’t tend to be hanging around at 1am, getting on buses. Same with old people. They should be let out between 11am-3pm then get back in your house.

Also Boris, give me some sort of student pay as you go discount!

2008-05-07T03:19:45Z

They should be let out between 11am-3pm then get back in your house.

I’m pretty sure that would be unenforceable. You see, there’s not really any legislation that allows you to curfew innocent people, however old they might be.

2008-05-07T07:40:28Z

there’s not really any legislation that allows you to curfew innocent people, however old they might be.

Er, I beg to differ. Some of the most important elderly incarceration legislation was brought in by the Blair government, but just tagged onto other more high profile Acts so no-one in the Daily Mail readership would notice. For example, there was the Human Rights Act, which in Hansard is actually called “The Human Rights and Older Persons Internment Act”. And the Civil Partnership Act, which made gay civil partnerships legal, but was actually called “The Civil Partnership and Elder Abuse Act”. One memorable clause in it outlines in meticulous detail how much force and what specific leather/metal restraints you’re allowed to use on all people over the age of 70 – which is quite a lot, I was pleased to read.

It’s all here: Hansard

2008-05-07T07:53:28Z

I never said anything about restraining them in their house via leather/metal means. They are allowed to walk around their house freely as that doesn’t get in my way. Just get them off the bus when I’m tired and need a seat.

Actually just get other people off the bus.

2008-05-07T08:06:44Z

Thanks for that SFULG. I thought that I had a good understanding of the Human Rights Act, what with having to use it for work and stuff, but you’ve opened my eyes.

I’m off to lock up some old people.

2008-05-07T13:41:26Z

At the moment isn’t it that anyone under the age of 16 gets free travel. I think I read somewhere that Boris will be given free travel only to those in full time education. Surely that can only be a good thing as the type of kids that can’t be bothered with school are generally the ones causing trouble on public transport.

If anything it should solve our growing child obesity problem. I actually saw three kids use their free travel to go 1 stop!

2008-05-07T14:17:40Z

Not all kids are evil scum of the earth. I once saw some posh little kid making hacking noises as if he was going to be ill first thing on the tube one morning. Everyone averted their eyes as if to say “a child, about to vomit, he probably is hungover”. I couldn’t believe that no-one could open their mouths to say “you okay?” I managed it and offered him some tissue to wipe up his dribble. He told me it was usual. Perhaps he did have an ongoing booze issue. Or a breathing issue, who knows.

but the good ones don’t tend to be hanging around at 1am, getting on buses

I used to hang around a lot of places at 1am in my teens (not bus stops mind, Hull didn’t really merit a late night bus service). I almost turned out okay. Then again this may be why my mate told me that “respectable” girls don’t go to pubs at 14. Hmmm.

2008-05-15T13:57:58Z

This is slightly off-topic but to my amazement I have found one of Boris’s policies that I agree with.

Scrapping The Londoner and using the money to plant trees.

Try as I might I just can’t find a flaw in this plan.

2008-05-15T14:20:03Z

It means that I’ll now have to carry a paper home for my cat to shit on, and even worse, I’ll probably be carrying the Metro. Best paper for the job mind you.

2008-05-15T14:34:58Z

agox> it’s all part of his plan to provide shady areas throughout the city, solely because he’s quite sensitive to sunlight.

Or, soon everyone will live on a boulevard, meaning the riffraff will move out of HIS CITY, leaving it as a plaything for him and his ilk.

2008-05-15T15:56:59Z

It’s Bojo’s policy of banning the consumption of alcohol on the underground that gets me. It is a fucking non-issue. And one that’s covered by existing legislation, regardless. Stupid, floppy-haired cockspume.

2008-05-15T16:37:45Z

Agox: Check out what Diamond Geezer has to say about BoJo’s planting-trees plan…

2008-05-16T07:56:15Z

according to BBC news website “youth crime on buses had risen by 55% since the introduction of free bus travel for under 16-year-olds. “

So yes take away free travel from the evil little shits.

2008-05-16T09:11:25Z

Of course it would increase if there are more youths travelling on buses. I’d be interested to know what the % increase of incidents of youth crime is compared to the % increase of youths travelling. I bet it’s not actually all that different, when you look at it that way.

If the fear of criminal proceedings is not a deterrent to a person, taking their bus pass away isn’t likely to be. Whilst they might not be committing crime on buses, they’ll probably be committing crime elsewhere.

Unless, of course, the specific environmental conditions on buses have some strange impact on the youth of today, that I’m unaware of, turning them into rabid, feral criminals.

2008-05-16T10:50:17Z

I clicked on the Diamond Geezer piece with interest, looking forward to finding some dirty goss on why the tree scheme is rotten and I can go back to wholesale BoJo hating, but sadly it’s failed to convince me:

“Scrapping the Londoner will fund fewer than 5 trees a day. That is, quite frankly, pathetic.”

Five trees a day is still an improvement on no trees a day. The gist of his argument seems to be that we aren’t going to get Epping Forest popping up overnight in the mean streets of central London, which hardly seems earth-shattering.