Page 11 - Phonebox Magazine October 2008

think of sex, religion... or golf. I detest the game and would like to see it banned, but suppose it would be a little unreasonable for me to deprive other people of a pastime they bizarrely seem to enjoy. Some people, however, don’t seem to be as fair minded.
Take, for instance, the media reports of a family, bereft at the disappearance of their cat, who put up posters asking whether anyone knew of its whereabouts. They received a phone call from a local official warning them they were liable to prosecution for, you’ve guessed it, anti social behaviour. I imagine they probably felt quite cross; a bit like teenagers might be when they are pilloried for doing no more than hanging around chatting to their mates.
And for those of your readers who still think it’s all ok, because the laws only apply to yobs on street corners, there’s the case of Toby Rhodes who, enraged by the fox hunting ban, had a stall at the Royal Norfolk Show offering for sale T shirts bearing the ‘offensive’ slogan (those of a sensitive disposition should skip this bit) ‘Bollocks to Blair’. The police handed him an on the spot fine for £80.
For some reason we seem to have been convinced by the powers that be that anti social behaviour is an entirely new problem, which can only be tackled with new laws and new restrictions. In truth it’s always been with us but now we have a handy little label to attach to any conduct we disapprove of and a receptive audience whenever we use those magic words ‘anti-social behaviour’. Be careful though; there’s always someone who’ll be only too happy to look at you and your conduct and decide whether it falls outside acceptable norms. Golfers beware!
Clearly it’s all a bit of a minefield so finally I’d just like to congratulate Councillor Ford for his courageous decision to take the bull by the horns and canvass the views of the Sixth Form girls at Ousedale. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.
Regards
Chris Wilks, Johnsons Field, Olney
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Phonebox Magazine 11