Mark O

Tut, tut......trouble on the Tube last night

BBC NEWS | England | London | Tube drinks party sparks mayhem

Mark

penfold

Boris strikes, it didn't take him long, did it??? ....the British have always reacted badly to prohibition, so what did he expect ?? By banning something causing a minor problem without thinking too hard (or at all) about the ramifications, he created a far bigger mess. Don't say you weren't warned.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

CaptainWaggett

I travel on the tube at all hours of the day and night and while you do get occasional drunks, the fact that they're carrying a can of Special Brew doesn't really add to the problem. They were already drunk when they got on the tube. Mass drunken parties aren't really a major problem (or weren't until yesterday when I did see quite a few revellers).

Steve Crook

I've had some very interesting conversations with drunks on the tube - and have never seen them give anyone any problem.

A late night tube home wouldn't be the same without the occasional Scottish or Geordie drunk

Steve

davidb

why is it only scots or us geordies drunk ? what are you implying ? [ and how patronising a statement as well ] i bet if it was ken who banned the drink youd be in favour of it .having worked on public transport myself its a good idea to ban it .maybe youve been lucky in just meeting a scots or geordie drunk and having a natter with them [ we can take our beer ! ] ,youll not have seen the drunken threatening behaviour ,assaults ,vomit stained seats ,time wasted while emergency services attend people so far out of it they need hospital treatment , like i did in my time as a bus driver

Steve Crook

I'm not implying anything, I'm stating that the vast majority of the people I meet late at night on the tube who have taken a drink or two are Scots or Geordies.

No doubt there is some trouble caused by some drunks, and by some sober people.

You lose your bet

Steve

davidb

i lose my bet ? you were in favour of allowing drink on public transport a couple of posts ago , now where do you stand ? sounds like in the middle .another point to this which some of you wont realise is if alcohol is brought onto public transport someone has to clear it up .the drunk with the can of stellar in his hand will more than likely dump it when finished .its not nice getting on a tube that stinks of beer with cans of lager rolling about . if you havent seen that [ or smelled it ] its because someone will have had to clear it up at the end of the previous trip .it would be impossible to stop people getting on public transport whove had a few ,nobodys suggesting that ,but at least the tube or bus isnt being used as an extension of the pub itself

Steve Crook

Are there any shades between black and white in your world?
I'm not in favour of banning drink on the tube, but I won't make it compulsory for everyone to have to have a drink either. Yes, someone will have to clear it up at the end of the trip, would you want to put those people out of work? What makes the tubes look messier is all the free newspapers handed out at every tube station. I see more of those than I see cans of lager.

The bet you lost was when you said "i bet if it was ken who banned the drink youd be in favour of it"

Steve

davidb

i dont think any of the cleaners will be put out of work due to this ,a few less trains spending time in the depot getting an emergency clean up perhaps ,so its ok for the public at large to behave how we like as long as someones 10 feet behind with a mop and bucket maybe ? are things now that bad in this country that when on an evening out you cant do without a beer for half an hour whilst on a train or bus ? why does the bus or tube have to be an extension of the pub ? what about guards ,ticket collectors , drivers who dont want that ? you still havent nailed your colours to the mast on this ?

christoph404

Discouraging drunkeness and drinking on any kind of public transport is I would say a good thing. Its anti social and you could argue that drunken passengers could be a danger to other passengers and themselves. A drunk passenger annoying or distracting the bus driver is not uncommon or fiddling with the connecting doors of moving tube trains or pulling the emergency stop for a laugh or even pressing the stop button for the escalator. I've seen all those things while on the tube and bus and its a pain in the neck for those of us who are sober!
If you turn up at an airport pissed you will not be allowed on your flight, and if you get pissed and belligerent while in flight you could expect to be arrested on landing. Okay , a bus or a tube train is not an aircraft but last month in London two people were hit by a train and killed after having a drunken argument that ended up on the tracks. Why would people feel the need to drink while on a tube train anyway? Aren't there enough bars in London?Why not have a drink at home or in the park?( In some counties and towns drinking in public places is forbidden including parks) Trying to drink in a moving bus or tube means you are going to spill half of it all over yourself anyway or the person sitting next to you but I suppose if you are really pissed you wouldn't really care about a little spillage down your front. ughhhh....disgusting behaviour! Yes a ban is a good thing and if Boris could ban the consumption of smelly burgers on the tube,even better!

CaptainWaggett

It's possible that this change has come about from pressure from Underground staff (though in that case it's a little odd that Ken ignored it for 8 years) though I think it unlikely (and, yes, if I believed that ticket sellers had really begged to be made responsible for policing drinking on trains, I probably would change my mind). I stand by my assertion is the problem is drunks on the tube (and it's not that major a problem) not people drinking. There's a difference, and banning open drinks (how will it be enforced since there are no staff in the carriages?) will make no appreciable difference. If someone is drunk when they board a train, a notice telling them not to drink won't sober them up. In my experience people drinking on the tube is pretty rare anyway (and yes, I do travel late at night).

A drunk is on a train with an open can. Not pleasant (though in my book no more unpleasant than a bloke with his hand down his trousers which can also be seen on occasion on the tube). How do staff find out about this and how do they take the drink away if he proves recalcitrant? Do they stop the train? I look forward to some interesting tube-related experiences in the next few months.

davidb

top man any supporters of drinking on the tubes or buses why not get a part time job as a gaurd or even a cleaner ! on a friday or saturday night ?

CaptainWaggett

I hope people who feel this way never ever leave their paper on the tube - the amount of litter that the ghastly freesheets cause is absolutely appalling.

davidb

i understand your point ,drivers have the right to refuse a drunken passenger on the buses or seek assistance to have him or her removed if they were a nuisance ,but if someones drunk but not bothering anyone theres no need .at least they wont get into a worse state whilst travelling from now on !

penfold

So why has Boris not suggested banning the sale and consumption of alcohol on mainline rail services while in London?? Because his mates in First Class would be upset, you think?? The only occasions I have been seriously bothered by rowdy drunks on trains was by Hunt supporters celebrating Bryan Ferry's idiot son getting into the House of Commons.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??