Suitable punishments

[Guest]

Being Scottish and in a bad mood, I have decided to air some of my personal hobby horses at the expense of this forum. No doubt some of you may feel I am a little reactionery/totalitarian but so be it.

a) Misuse/unsafe/grossly inconsiderate use of boats.

This seems to be prevalent especially in the South. I would deal with this by giving harbourmasters/police/coastguard/other appropriate bodies authority to confiscate the offending vessel for a period of time ranging from one week to one year - more than that, the boat could be compulsorily sold with proceeds going to the owner less reasonable expenses. Restoration of a confiscated vessel could be made conditional on completing appropriate courses.

b) Litter

Britain is one of the dirtiest countries in the world and the national propensity just to drop rubbish anywhere (including overboard) really gets up my nose. I was in my favorite beaty spot (Caladh Harbour in the Kyles of Bute) the other day. A small yacht came in and had a picnic lunch. They then up anchored and as they were sailing out, the lady of the party heaved the rubbish over the side. Our dinghy was down so we collected it, put it all in a plastic bag and when we caught them on the way home to Kip, came alongside, gave them the bag and said "You dropped something" and motored off to let them figure it out.

Other countries have hefty fines - e.g. Canada has signs up everywhere saying littering fine $1,000. If we cannot restore some civic pride through education then lets do it by punishing offenders. I suggest

1) On the spot meaningful fines

2) Non payment means automatic community service picking up litter
3) Lets get working parties from the prisons (maybe volunteers) on to cleaning up verges/roads, etc. - why do we just let criminals have a holiday in prison? This would be a sort of modern equivalent of the chain gang.

c) Rioting or generally misbehaving abroad (such as happens at England football matches)

There should be a crime called "Bringing the country into disrepute". This would be punishable by suspension of passport so that the individual would be unable to have his annual two weeks in Bevvydorm for several years.

All of the above have a potential marine application so there is a sort of loose connection with the forum. Anyone got any other suggestions?

Nick (crusading Scot) Robinson

 

[Guest]

Re: angry scottish govt types

We can't carry on with beatings, prison, victorian values and such.

I've just come back from the south of France. The local council has rubbish-collecting boats, which nose up astern and you chuck the bag on. So despite far more boats, there much less rubbish around.

Also in France, they have police in boats. They enforce the speed limits, inc 10knts inside half a mile, and no powerboats inside the yello markers where there might be swimmers. They also stop waterski boats who don't have long orange flags flying. I've been stopped for all these, had it explained, don't do it again, and they operate the local area so they'll know me next time.


Not sure about "bringing the country into disrepute". Some people love it so much here they're swimming here on lilos.

Others just can't wait to get to this country and sit about doing nothing at the taxpayers expense, bringing country into disrepite, and we call these people "Government ministers" who are normally scottish, and since they very stupid indeed, your campaign should start there. Oops no, Prescott's from Yorkshire. Mind you, he should have stepped back and counterpunched, so that's bringing our boxing/sporting abilities into disrepute.

 

[peterg]

Re: bringing the country into disrepute

The Duke of Edinburgh would get this 'award' every year but Robin Cook might just be a close runner up (did he really fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down?)

Prescott should be shot or at least keelhauled (there, I knew I'd find a marine connection)

 

[Guest]

Re: angry scottish govt types

agree with you on the litter thing....disgusting.....not sure about the bringing the country into disrepute though.....maybe we could have them all shipped out ,Australia would be to good for them though .

So how about the Isle of Wight.....its closer so therefore the cost of deportation would be far lower,once there they could be forced into selling ice creams or something.

Matt are you for real about the French litter boats.....Over here most of the marinas have a litter problem but rarely do you see them cleaning up all the rubbish "in the corner ".Let alone travelling to the beaches or visiting boats to clean up.

My daughter dropped a sweet wrapper into the water at Allum bay on the weekend
and I made her get in the dinghy and get it back am I a bad father ? I felt a bit guilty she's only 4

got to start early though I say
Good on the french.

 

[Guest]

Attila the Hun

If I was going to suggest going back to earlier values, it would probably be prior to the Victorian double standards. What was wrong with nailing someone's ear to a post for an hour for not going to church on a Sunday? I suppose it would Ok for women with pierced ears!

I accept fully that Britain is a good place to live and that loads of people would like to be here. That does not mean to say I have to like it being dirty.

Call me old fashioned but I just like the idea of prisoners working for their three square a day. Not chain gang type slave labour but real jobs which are difficult to get done conventionally like cleaning up roadsides, etc. This could be done on a voluntary basis as I am sure there would be plenty of guys who would like a look at the outside world/fresh air during a term of porridge and it would help repay their debt to society.

In terms of bringing the country into disrepute, why not. If your fellow countrymen make you ashamed of them when abroad, why not stop it happening. Or maybe we just thought that what went on in Belgium during the last world cup, for example, was just high spirits and boys will be boys.

Attila

 

[Bergman]

Re: angry scottish govt types

I agree with most of what you say except the bit about Prescott.

He is Welsh

I think he landed in Hull and couldn't find his way back. Or perhaps both Jags were out of petrol that day.

 

[Guest]

Re: Attila etc

Yes I agred with all that prisoners working. Unfortunately this wasn't done by Thatcher by 1990, so of course nothing at all done since. The unions don't like the ideas of prisoners doing useful things like tidyinig up or fixing roads or boatwashing, antifouling or standing at your mooring all day ready to help with lines or doing shopping, because their poor members might be out of a job. And the wily prisoners may well be very good at all these things, making them look daft. Likewise they're against charity shops. Sort of right-wing socialism, or left-wing capitalism.

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: Attila the Hun

As an ex-pat and one who visits Britain 1-2 X/yr, it is striking how much litter and dog mess there is on the streets. Having prisoners work clearing up roadside litter is a common sight in Georgia (US). The guard with a rifle deters them from running off into the fields. I think they've decided to chain the prisoners together in Alabama, the state where 'tis rumoured that a tornado went thorugh and did $5M-worth of improvements