He's got a ticket to Ride

STOP THE PRESSES ! Huge important News this week:AFP "Former prime minister Tony Blair was caught travelling on a train without a ticket and any cash to pay the fare, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

Blair was confronted by a ticket inspector as he travelled to London's Heathrow airport to catch a flight to the United States on Monday, spokesman Matthew Doyle said.

"Mr Blair just didn't have any cash on him," Doyle said. "One of the policemen travelling with him offered to pay for the ticket, but the ticket inspector said it wasn't necessary."

"All right for some" may some people who wish to discuss the two tiered system of the Hoi-poloi vs the plebs but my commentary is more on the ticket inspector. I applaud the common sense attitude of the ticket inspector for not making a big deal over this. The Lower ranks of Britain are usually great for their pragmatism.

I've been let off two speeding tickets thanks to the leeway of the individual British policemen. First one was after coming out of 45 mph to 30 mph and my house was just inside that, the second when I was VERY over limit when I was cruising like I drove in Germany. The cop let me off as I didn't have a UK address on my licence and whilst I should have to appear in front of a judge for a non-fixed fine, the courts would not open until 3 days away due to a public holiday weekend. He didn't want to put me in the police clink for that length of time so he let me off with a caution. Thanks PC Plods. It is not forgotten.

At school, I was guilty of many things that got me trouble. I was caned at least twice but my peak crime was being busted with having my homemade beer in my bag. I was intending to give it to somebody later in the day where is was end of term. Luckily for me, I was not expelled based on the Deputy head looking at my academic record and fact that I was so near to finishing school. He just confiscated my illicit stash and gave me a stern lecture about pulling myself together and not fecking my life up. Kids will be kids and I went on to University and speeding excepted, sorta turned out OK. Thanks Mr. Deputy head for that but I know you enjoyed my beer.

The Zero tolerance of the school system in US would have been a disaster to me. I shake my head when I hear of stupid practices such as kids finding something at school, turning it in to teacher and then being busted for being in of the thing they turned in. Randy Cassingham on his "This is true" raises the stupidity of ZT.

Same with much of the Police and their attitude to enforcing laws. Sometime I believe we have a Legal system in the US, not a justice system. For traffic offences, they ticket people only for them to play the system and get off. Two people committing same offence will get different punishment based on the calibre of their lawyer. Sometime is it the enforcement of stupid laws that gets to me: For example the case of jailing 1 teenager for 10 years for consensual Oral sex. See Genarlow Wilson's story. The kid's life was ruined by doing things kids are doing throughout America and not prosectuted in other states.

I'd add the TSA to my rant on the ZT approach that would be discussing "SECURITY". Das ist Verbotten. We've all heard the message in the airport "Security is a serious matter. Jokes made will be taken seriously".

I guess I'll keep the "How many TSA personnel would it take to change a light bulb" joke to myself next time I am at the airport. I imagine their response "A wiseguy eh?" Let me put on another rubber glove. Come with me. Extra dry KY over here.

Phileas Fogg,
Houston, Texas
April 26th 2008