Last Orders For Outside
Sitting outside drinking a cool pint of Stella or a glass of Pimms with your friends is one of the simple pleasures that brings joy over the summer months. You can watch the world go by and have a well-earned rest, whilst getting some much needed fresh air. The fact that to partake in such innocent actions will now earn you a £500 fine is surely a sign that all is not right in this world of ours.
What precisely is so awful about having a drink on a specially designated bench outside of a pub? Exactly what threat does this cause those walking past, apart from the fact that they might be tempted to join you? Are the council looking for things for the police to do? Have all of the bike theives and muggers been arreted? Is there no crime in Oxford more serious than daring to consume intoxicating beverages without a roof over one's head? Exactly how much police time will be wasted enforcing this law that Oxford seemed to get on perfectly well without?
It is true that the by-law may have been passed with good intentions and that it may decrease the amount of drunk and disorderly behaviour on the streets of Oxford, however occassionally it's necessary to look at the bigger picture. Any law which makes drinking a glass of wine with a meal illegal, soley because you are sat outside is surely a bad one. The fact that the current crop of freshers will never be able to experience a celebratory drink outside of The KA immediately after exams is surely bad news for everyone except, perhaps, the manager of The Turf...
30th Oct 2003