Get rid of the Remote Control
Welcome to our latest law in a long stream of idiotic laws.
It is now illegal to buy or sell packs of ten cigarettes. Even those shops that still have packs of ten in stock can’t sell them. So any child who used to but a 10 pack will now buy a 20 pack instead.
Congratulations legislators, on your incredible bid to increase under-age smoking.
This law ranks up there with the law that bans the burning of wood in a garden, yet you can get a grant to install a wood burning stove in the house!!!!
Fifty years ago, I was unaware of the law in the course of my daily life. I was aware that there were laws about theft and damage to property. And of course, murder was frowned upon. But as I was brought up not to kill, steal or vandalise, these laws didn’t bother me.
There was the time I trespassed to collect conkers: the police just reminded me that it was private property, and that I should ask permission first. That was the way it was. If you broke the law, you were given a rap on the knuckles. Unless of course it was a really serious offence.
In our day to day lives, we cycled without helmets. We roller-skated without protective clothing. If we went boating, we never bothered with floatation jackets. We could buy a single cigarette. The only place I remember smoking being prohibited was downstairs on the bus.
We saw the law as something serious, but it was for criminals. The rest of us respected one another and if we harmed ourselves, that was our problem.
Now there is legislation governing just about every aspect of our lives. And what’s worse, the authorities are determined to catch us out. They install speed traps, closed circuit cameras and smoke detectors. They deliberately set out to catch people breaking laws. The law is no longer there to protect – it is there to control.
As a result, the man in the street [like me] feels like he can’t be trusted. He is being treated like a child and every move is being watched ‘for his own good’. And it is in the nature of the child to rebel, and to push the boundaries.
I am a citizen of this state and as such I am entitled to my liberties. And those liberties include the right to make my own mistakes, and to harm myself, provided of course, I am not harming others.
Doubtless they will bring in legislation at some stage to outlaw unprotected sex or the use of DIY tools. Maybe a law prohibiting the wearing of shoes with the laces undone? Or the amount to food we can eat? Where does it stop?
The child in me is rebelling. I give two fingers to a lot of the laws because they are trying to control me, not protect me. I am old enough to know myself what is good and what is bad.
I know it will only get worse. The government wants to control the people and there is little I can do about it.
I will continue to object.
Until blogs become illegal of course.
The only thing is that at lest we are not as bad as the U.K. (Yet!) I was just reading an article yesterday on how 90% of their ubiquitous CCTV cameras are technically illegal.
Regarding smoking though. I’m 31 but I can remember on my way to school, buying a single cigarette, a match and a strike for 6p.
The strike was a small bit ripped from the side of a matchbox. You only had one chance to light up and if that failed you had to wait for someone else to successfully light theirs first!
I believe the U.K. are going mad at the moment installing cameras around the insides of buildings in preparation for the smoking ban there.
The singly was 3d in my day. There’s inflation for ya!
What about my road roller? Do you think there will be hotlines for people to report everything just as there is a hotline to report road rollers!
Ian
http://www.forthefainthearted.com/page/2/
There are already hotlines. There is a number for reporting drivers, litterers, stray dogs and quite a few other things.
“Be a good citizen and report your fellow citizen to the authorities”
The Iron Curtain is being rebuilt, and we are on the wrong side of it.
Wait until they start offering financial rewards for information. Its a bit like the Stasi in the former GDR.
I suppose the only saving grace is that there is no places left in the prisons left to house those who failed to sweep the footpath in front of their house.
Our litter warden recently commented that the front of our house was starting to look a little shabby and might need repainting soon. I felt like telling him where to go but then he would just actively target us as he has done to others before.
CCTV in every shop and public space, random breath testing, random drug testing, compulsory smoke detectors in ALL homes, speed cameras, life saving posters on pool gates, self locking pool fences (even if your back yard is fully enclosed) They even control the amount of rubbish we put out by giving us a little putrefactious bin and a large recycle bin (and waking me up at 5:30 in the morning to collect the bastards). No smoking on ovals, sportsgrounds. One council has banned ALL outdoor smoking of any kind. We have to wear seat belts (not a bad thing but I don’t like to be compulsed), children under 8 have to be restrained with a booster seat, cars over 5 years old have to have a roadworthy certificate . . . cyclists must wear a helmet and reflective gear and by 2010 all Sydneysiders will have to convert to energy efficient light globes (my house is 19 years old and the downlights don’t work with them . . . council permission is required to cut down a tree, hold a party and use power tools outside 8.00am and 12 midnight . . .shall I go on? . . we’re turning into regulated zombies . . .so at what point do we launch the global rebellion?
@Baino – Holy crap! Although I have a suspicion that is what we can expect here too in the not too distant future.
I do wonder at times how all this madness started and what the overall objective is?
To explain my presence – I’m sending a CV to Gamestop in Cavan through email – figured I’d stop by.
I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree. I some fucker knifes me and leaves me for dead because he likes the look of my mobile phone, I would certainly want justice, and the CCTV cameras could provide that. It is an unfortunate side effect that the police are becoming anal to the point of paranoia, but you have to take the rough with the smooth.
That being said, I have a better idea. Install sub-dermal microchips in every child born to the criminal classes so the bastards (in fact, that word is true in so many ways) could be tracked.
Dario our cameras pick up the crime but rarely the criminal. We had instances last year where there were beach side riots between the Lebs and the Surfies and one kid was televised having the shite kicked out of him . . . they only identified 2 of the 15 offenders . . .damn those hoodies! And there’s lots of pictures of ‘Mrs Jones . . .last seen walking through this car park . . .” she’s still missing . . .They don’t do anything but pry.
Sorry Grandad, it’s friday night here and I’m comandeering your blog. Just let me know where to sign up for the Regulation Liberation Front . . now what colour to paint my kitchen?
Baino – my blog is there to be commandeered [as long as it stays on topic!!].
@Robert – I don’t know what you are Holy Crapping about? Most of those exist here and a few more besides. Actually, the only ones we don’t have are a smoking ban in sports grounds, and permission to hold a party. Everything else applies.
But we are not allowed to light a fire in our garden. Our cars have to be tested at four years. Apartment residents aren’t allowed put up satellite dishes. The list seems to be endless.
And the reason for it all – it’s to make us safer and happier. My arse!! It makes me paranoid and rebellious.
Grandad, You cant smoke in the stands in Croke park or any other enclosed stand so that leaves only the Party and anyway you have to ask your neighbours permission or else by 11 they will call the Gaurds on you for making a disturbance.
Always better just to invite them all its no harm getting toi know them anyway.
No point in ringing the Guards here. They close at midday. Apparently we aren’t supposed to have crime after then!!
I lived in continental apartments before the word entered Ireland’s vernacular (we then only had “flats” and bedsits”). Initially surprised by the house rules, I had no issue with respecting them because what spared my neighbour annoyance did the same for me. E.g.: after 10 p.m. NO noise! No showers/baths (noisy plumbing), no radio/tv/music, loud conversation etc. If entertaining, one’s guests automatically brought down the volume (music, chat) once past 10 p.m. One was also asked to TRY not to need to flush loos between midnight and 6 a.m. also! Where apartments had wooden floors, shoes must not be worn between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. so as not to wake the people below you. Departing guests must speak quietly on stairs & in hallways, so as not to be heard in the apartments they are passing (it was normal for us to whisper). There were lots more – about laundry, rubbish etc. They made life comfortable even in the city centre and ensured a decent night’s sleep and a peaceful environment for all – especially those working long hours, the ill or the elderly.
When i lived in Dublin apartments in the Eighties i could not believe the lack of consideration and respect for others. Though some similar rules are contained in apartment leases they are rarely enforced. People think once they own a place they can do what they like. On the continent the rules are so well enforced that people can (and do) call the police to caution the habitual offender. And if necessary it goes further.
In the past 20 years with the huge growth in Irish apartment numbers, behaviour has not improved: i know that in a large and highly sought-after complex on the outskirts of my nearest town people are trying to sell after only 1 year’s ownership, due to all-night parties, shouting and fighting, drinkers being sick in hallways, and lots more unsavoury stuff! I myself spent sleepless nights due to “rave” type partying in the apartment above me in a classy south Dublin compex – at times it felt my ceiling would fall in, they were jumping about so much. It didnt stop till my third visit to their door (at 6 a.m. and they were still going strong – on Ecstasy, i assume!) and announcement that i was calling the police. Who were they? 2 hospital doctors and their pals de-stressing!!!
I would live in a continental apartment again, but never an Irish one (unless it was the penthouse with nobody above or next door).
Now i live in a country cottage, spared most of the above horrors. However, my neighbour lights bonfires in his back yard quite often to burn all his rubbish – plastic & rubber included. It makes me feel ill, has obliged me to shut all my windows on a lovely sunny weekend to try to keep the smell out of the house, and covers everything in my yard with ash. So i agree with that rule against fires, unless you live a good distance from any other dwelling!
I wonder is it possible to “protect” some without “controlling” others, Grandad?
Grandad,
I have taken up your suggestion to rebrand the illegal and unregulated road roller as art:
http://speckledtown.blogspot.com/
You can do all sorts of things that are illegal if you say they are art. Standing nude in the Middle of Mexico City would get you arrested, but if it’s part of a Spencer Tunick installation, then it’s OK.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Tunick
I think what you need is the jargon to describe all the various prohibited activities in artistic terms.
Some of the more arcane laws in force in Italy – swivel chairs in offices must have 5 spokes (4 are dangerous and could tip over), you can’t wear sandals while driving, and if you wear glasses, you have to have a spare pair in the car. There’s very little you can’t be fined for here, yet the more rules there are the more people ignore them…
Well I understand not being allowed to burn rubish but whats the problem with wood. I have a wood burning urn here and plan to bring it back to Ireland and when we have BBQ’s I wanted to light the URN fire to keep off the summer chill while drinking into the wee hours of the morning.
I wonder just how much ‘anti-social behaviour’ is down to a subconscious rebellion against the over legalisation and control? It would be an interesting subject for a thesis?
@MacDara – as far as I’m aware, the law covers any burning in the garden. I can understand this covering the burning of household waste, tyres or whatever, but I’m baffled as to why it should cover the burning of garden debris like fallen branches or autumn leaves. I always loved the smell of a good autumn bonfire.
It doesn’t however cover barbecues, and presumably wood burning urns [I have one on unwanted loan from our K8] which is even stranger – you can’t burn wood unless it’s inside a container!
And I’ve just realised – all our chairs have only four legs. We’re going to have to stand now for our own safety!
Grandad,
On the subject of ridiculous laws, I used to live in Virginia where all liquor was controlled by the State. It was a “DRY” state meaning, no drinks by the glass. The only way you could get liquor was to buy a full bottle from the State run store. The result of this stupid regulation was: You couldn’t buy a drink, you had to buy a drunk..
Laws against burning rubbish make sense in places like holland where all the houses are stuck together and there is no space, the douchebags in the EU have a very one sided view of everything and think all of europe is like where they live in the city.
the famous safety bar on the lawnmower still annoys the crap out of me. Its illegal to sell a lawnmower that doesn’t have one and I’m sure who ever thought of that law has never had to cut the grass in his life. probably some rich fat bastard who could just pay for someone else to do it. its also illegal to get past various client-side restrictions like changing IMEI numbers of phones that I own and getting rid of DRM, i cant wait to move to africa or Antarctica
D’yknow what the actual root of all these stupid rules are? Insurance companies. ‘Nuff said.
That, and Political Correctness.