Sunday 1 June 2008

Prohibition on the Underground

Today sees the beginning of the ban of consumption of alcohol on the London public transport. Well, most of it. Overground trains are excluded from the ban as they aren't under the control of Transport for London. On buses, tubes and the DLR it is now illegal to drink alcohol or even to carry an open container of alcohol.

This was marked last night by 'parties' on the Underground. Predictably there were some arrests, station closures and trains taken out of service due to damage.

I don't see the big deal because I don't see why you'd want to be drinking on the bus or tube or wherever in the first place. The only transport I've ever had drinks on is planes and sometimes really long train journeys. I don't see the attraction of swigging a can of beer on the underground. A bottle of water in really hot weather perhaps, but beer? Really? It's just unpleasant for anyone sitting nearby who has to suffer the stink of it (and trust me, it really does smell).

I'm sure there will be the usual bleating about civil liberties and human rights. Whatever. If you want a beer go to a pub, or go to your refrigerator... not the transport network.