The Nanny State

[Brad]

"We must do something to quash the amount of binge drinking! We must make sure people save money into pensions funds!"

...

BUT...

"We will open pubs 24 hours a day! We will open casinos in every town!"

Rearrange these words into a sentence: Calling The Kettle Pot Black.

[Chris]

Is it me, or has political correctness and the nanny state gone too far?

I was speaking to a mate in college today about some field trip to a residential center she is going to go on during December. She tells me that the staff are not allowed to take photographs of the students at all. When I questioned how far this went, she said that staff aren't even allowed to take photos of students in groups or have them in shot if they do take photographs of the place unless they have parental permission.

I was shocked at this. Whilst I understand the need to protect children and those on school visits from teachers who abuse their position of being in loco parentis, these students are nearly of an adult age. They are old enough to have sex, they are nearly old enough to drive and drink, although not at the same time and get credit cards and loans.

[cwathen]

A big worry these days is of course the litigation culture that's been imported here from America. In my day at primary school, we'd have the photographer from the local rag come in to take pictures of us for some event or other and the picture would then appear in the paper with our full names underneath it. Parental consent was not even a consideration.

Similarly, when I took my GCSEs the results which I got were printed in the paper without seeking parental (or my own) consent then. Possible breaches of the data protection act were not a consideration then either.

I think a lot of what is passed off as being a 'nanny state' culture is actually just 'cover your ass so you don't get sued' protection from the litigation culture we have.

Bringing back the sensible world (of less than 10 years ago actually) when a complaint was just a complaint and wasn't a full blown legal battle with compensation being awarded needs to happen just as badly as obsessing over political correctness, and banishing away a nanny state with rules for everything does imo.

[Jamez]

You do know that bendy bananas are banned in this country

You do know that it will soon be illegal to smack your child

You do know that you will now be able to shoplift and not get a criminal record

You do know that it is/will be illegal to let off fireworks after 11pm and only on November 5th and NYE.

Oh and you're not allowed to send text messages with something along the lines of "I'm going to kill George W. Bush by hijacking an airliner" without having MI6 banging on your front door?

Oh, and I was threatend with arrest last week for taking sound recordings of planes outside the perimiter fence of Cardiff airport last week for a radio programme.

INSANE!

[Gavin Scott]

You do know that bendy bananas are banned in this country

I understood that one to be an urban legend.

You do know that it is/will be illegal to let off fireworks after 11pm and only on November 5th and NYE.

This was introduced in Scotland last year, and Reporting Scotland had a story two nights ago that complaints about kids setting fireworks off have halved since this time last year. Quite honestly the busy urban road I live on was a nightmare last October. I must admit I really welcome this change.

Oh and you're not allowed to send text messages with something along the lines of "I'm going to kill George W. Bush by hijacking an airliner" without having MI6 banging on your front door?

Oh if only someone would!

[DAS]

Come on James, you know better than to base an argument on the rubbish you hear being muttered!

You do know that bendy bananas are banned in this country

Urban myth.

You do know that it will soon be illegal to smack your child

Blame the backbenchers, not the nanny state for that one.

You do know that you will now be able to shoplift and not get a criminal record

Rubbish. Fixed penalties are in addition to current law at the discretion of the police. Not such a bad idea when you look at it.

You do know that it is/will be illegal to let off fireworks after 11pm and only on November 5th and NYE.

And why not?! It's not too often you want to set fireworks off any other time... if you did, why would you need to after 11.00pm? Although of course it should be an individual's choice, you're right.

Oh and you're not allowed to send text messages with something along the lines of "I'm going to kill George W. Bush by hijacking an airliner" without having MI6 banging on your front door?

Yeah, damn. I can't use that template now.

[Chris Turnbull]

You do know that it is/will be illegal to let off fireworks after 11pm and only on November 5th and NYE.

And why not?! It's not too often you want to set fireworks off any other time... if you did, why would you need to after 11.00pm? Although of course it should be an individual's choice, you're right.

What if you want to let fireworks of for a birthday bash???

[DAS]

You do know that it is/will be illegal to let off fireworks after 11pm and only on November 5th and NYE.

And why not?! It's not too often you want to set fireworks off any other time... if you did, why would you need to after 11.00pm? Although of course it should be an individual's choice, you're right.

What if you want to let fireworks of for a birthday bash???

Why after 11.00pm?

[Brad]

Isn't another 'urban myth' the so called banning of Prawn Cocktail crisps by a Brussels directive? Oddly, the only thing I agree with. They are disgusting.

On a simliar note to earlier posts, you can't take photos of your own kids swimming now. Oh, and don't forget school nativity plays! I remember watching 'Supernanny' a few months ago and they'd blurred out any images of the baby's genitals! On the off chance a perv decides to video the show for his own pleasure?!