You can get busted in Midtown

This is what is meant by big society... that average people can do the job of the police so that the police numbers can be cut.

That's a little unfair, this rapid expansion of state reach happened all under the last Labour government, the Big Society (however flawed a plan it turns out to be) is pretty much the opposite, it's just a rebranding of a Conservative stalwart, small government, and as such would seek to reduce these powers not expand them.

The real problem is that this authoritarian bent has seeped into our culture, everyone from shop security guards to ticket inspectors seem to feel the need to impose their petty authority over the public space, lot's of badly paid men in fluorescent vests speaking into radios thinking their job is to exercise authority and control people.

My mum got told, when having her Oyster card topped up, that she was not allowed to have a picture of my little brother in the flap opposite the oyster card, she was told to take it out, when she said she was not going to, the bloke actually said he would come out from behind the till and remove it himself as it was in breach of the regulations.

in breach of regulations

that's pretentious speak for 'I'm an officious cunt and I want to make your day a bit more miserable'

Just trying to get a handle on all the people, in different uniforms, wandering the streets of central london who can tell me what to do... and in no particular order....

[]Police officer (Met)
[]Police officer (City of London)
[]Special Constable (Met)
[]Special Constable (City of London)
[]PCSO (Met)
[]PCSO (City of London)
[*]Traffic Wardens (though not seen one for a while)

[]City of Westminster Fine Enforcement Officers
[]Camden Fine Enforcement Officers
[]Heritage Wardens (Trafalgar Square)
[]Red Caps (Oxford & Bond Streets)
[]Aren't there some people in Green-Caps?
[]Mid-town Orange-jacket-ones

Sorry, I stopped, I got bored.... I have no issue with the first list.... it's the growth of the powers of the second that makes me think......

You have missed out some, like BTP and street rangers type private security, powers of fine and arrest have even been rolled out to groups like doormen, the ACPO (a selfs-serving bunch of cunts at the best of time) has even been compelled to say that we have gone much too far.

there were regular pieces in the Private Eye about Newham's park wardens scheme where it got a bit out of hand.
you can read a precis of what happened here> [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newham_Community_Constabulary[/ame]

Tynan has it bang on about this creeping authoritarianism and I just hope that over the coming years that this type of bollox is rolled back.

Or we can form a cycle-riding militia to counteract these officious scum and their authoritarian ways?

They can wag their fingers, enact silly laws, paint the roads blue and restrict the right to protest or have freedom of assembly but they'll never take away the sense of freedom and sheer joy you get from self-propulsion on two wheels... Let's stand up (or should that be sit down) for the people!

Who's with me!?! Pistanator? LFGSS CYCLE LIBERTY RANGERS FTW :D

LADS

Jesus they look like the very bunch of cocks I'd imagine, the powerstance™ of the 2nd on the right says it all.

Although to their credit, these are the first bunch of control-goons I have seen in a while who haven't gone down the £15 fluro jacket route.

there were regular pieces in the Private Eye about Newham's park wardens scheme where it got a bit out of hand.
you can read a precis of what happened here> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newham_Community_Constabulary

Tynan has it bang on about this creeping authoritarianism and I just hope that over the coming years that this type of bollox is rolled back.

Cheers for the link, I remember reading about that, basically the very human failing of a bunch of self appointed authoritarians conforming to stereotype.

Milgram / Stanford prison experiment says all you need to know about this kind of thing.

Did you see Derren Brown's recreation? There was one chap who got to the max voltage, and was just like, "What should I do? I can't give him a higher shock..?"

fuck me - apparantly the new world order comes wearing cheap matalan pleated slacks and an army surplus store in berlin circa 1933.

no really. fuck off

They look like tools

Lovin their 'bovver boots'

Can't wait for one of those tits to try and stop me

They will get the smack down

A short sharp, well executed 'Fuck Off' should do the trick

A short sharp, well executed 'Fuck Off' should do the trick

section 5 Public Order offence

They're not OB though

Citizen's Arrest innit

I'd never live it down if I got arrested by one of those whoppers!

Can't wait for one of those tits to try and stop me

in order to attract cunts, you need to act like a cunt i suppose.

nah, but this is where they get troublesome. Let's say one tries to stop you, you say fuck off and push him away and go on your way, a copper is nearby and before you know it you are getting done for section 5 and assault.

It's a slightly unlikely scenario but is the sort of thing that can happen

in order to attract cunts, you need to act like a cunt i suppose.

Coming from the melt who tows bikes, that's a bold statement

A short sharp, well executed 'Fuck Off' should do the trick

section 5 Public Order offence

The point is still being missed on this thread, they have no powers of enforcement, they can use section 5 no more than I can. If they are offend by someone telling them to 'fuck off' then they need to call the police, like any other member of the public.

Coming from the melt who tows bikes, that's a bold statement

:-D

in order to attract cunts, you need to act like a cunt i suppose.

Not at all, time and time again it has been shown that these kinds of powers are routinely abused, stick a florescent jacket, a captain's hat and a radio on a sane man and he often turns into a giant cock.

Not all PSCOs - for instance - are going around hassling people, making them delete photographs from their cameras, dreaming up offences, ordering people to move on when they are in breach on no law and so on - but it happens regularly enough for it to be a very real problem.