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Scott2006 · Last edited by Scott2006 on Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

More than 120 people fined by Glasgow's new litter enforcers

Glasgow's zero tolerance campaign to clear its streets of litter has resulted in more than 120 people being fined for dropping rubbish in its first week.

An army of 30 uniformed anti-litter enforcers, who wear stab-proof vests, started working in the city centre in search of litter louts, fly-tippers and vandals eight days ago, issuing £50 fixed penalties to those they catch.

Senior warden Charlie Macklin said: "We are making a real difference on the streets. People are getting to know who we are and why we are here.

"It will take time for the zero-tolerance message to sink in with everybody, but for those caught it is an expensive lesson.

"Hitting these people in the pocket is the way to show how serious we are about cleaning up the city."

Two smokers who were issued with fixed penalties for throwing their cigarette butts on the street admitted they would be binning them in future.

The male offender, who did not wish to be named, said: "I am embarrassed I have been caught.

"I knew about the enforcers and that others had been issued with fines, so I feel silly. The wardens are only doing their jobs."

However, the female shop worker, who also refused to be named, insisted she would not be paying her £50 fine.

Those who refuse to pay up could end up in court.

She said: "I am outraged. Everybody chucks cigarettes on the street, so I do not know why I have been singled out.

"There is no way I will be paying this fine - they will need to put me in jail first."

But she said she would be forced to change her behaviour.

She added: "I suppose I will need to be more careful."

Ehab Rashad, who issued the new teams' first fine, said he and his colleagues were getting a reaction from the public.

He said: "Most of those issued with fines were shocked they had been caught.

"Some were very embarrassed - one man even thanked me for pointing out his mistake and giving him a fine.

"Others have come up to say hello and say that they support what we are doing, which is great.

"We realise not everyone will welcome us, especially those who cannot be bothered to bin their litter. But why should taxpayers pay for their mess? "We will continue to tackle them until the message gets through."

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If someone dropped a packet of cigarettes and all 20 fell out as it was about to drop to the ground - would that be a single infringement costing £50 or 20 times that - assuming the warden had to hit a target that day - of 20 separate individual £50 Fines equalling £1000?

If you accidently drop a £10 note - will you get charged £50?

Do they collect DNA from the scene of the "crime" if the "perpetrator" does a runner and legs it down the street? Is that where all the CCTV cameras from Big Brother Labour Glasgow City Council come into their own?

Perhaps a conversation something like this:
"Green Litter Patrol Officer 007 to Camera Surveillance HQ - I have a fit, athletic man approximately 20 to 25 years old in a burberry cap wearing a purple track suit top and yellow trousers running through Argyle Street Pedestrian Precinct can I get a close up of his face as he is running East towards CCTV Argyle 14 and is refusing to accept a £50 fine for dropping a fast food wrapper for his burger. Please keep him under surveillance and inform the Quick Response Unit to apprehend the perpertrator."

Perhaps the CCTV cameras that record so much of life in Glasgow could be renamed after Labour Councillor Heroes of Glasgow?
Those who have been so successful in removing the problems of Housing, Culture, Museums and Sport from the City.... by no longer taking to do with the day to day running of them.

Give it another 8 to 12 years and even Labour might lose control of Glasgow.

It's nice to know almost every person who feels victimised at this level will be one less voter for Big Brother Labour at least at such a local level.

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Scotland deserves a First rate Parliament for a First rate People
The Scottish Parliamentarians who voted for Treaty of Union in 1706 and signed away Independence had been voted for by less than 2% of the Scottish population

Scott2006 · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:42 pm Post subject:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/other/display.var.1442373.0.0.php
That is from Monday 4th June Herald

There are many difficulties with controlling politically inspired half-baked interference in people's lives.

Will this be even moderately successful and if so is it morally justified and financially acceptable for a limited area to be be patrolled but all other parts of Glasgow the more than 90% or so of GLASGOW not covered, to be taxed for the purpose of a Labour Placeman's pet scheme?

Is a nuisance - fly tipping and vandalism being addressed successfully? Will vandals and fly-tippers conform to office hours? Do the patrols start at 8 in the morning and finish at 6pm? Or later? Will the clubbers that come out at 3am or 4am and throw away their take-away food (a recurring image) containers see hide-or-hair of a Litter Ticketer?

Will this be an intrusion, just one among many that Labour plan to introduce to make conformers of us all?
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Scotland deserves a First rate Parliament for a First rate People
The Scottish Parliamentarians who voted for Treaty of Union in 1706 and signed away Independence had been voted for by less than 2% of the Scottish population

Abieuan · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject:

I'm all for anti-litter stuff, but fining people for throwing away a fag butt seems "over the top" and could...no, will put people off the whole scheme.

Perhaps the people behind this are the same ones that promoted our draconian anti-smoking legislation too.

Aventinian · Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject:

SLG · Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:08 pm Post subject:

I don't think you can send out a handful of litter-police to make an example of such a small number of people though. If it's going to be an offence it needs to be enforced properly. Of course it's not something that should have to be enforced, should just be common decency, unfortunately that's the world we live in.

Abieuan · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:52 pm Post subject:

Aventinian wrote:

Holebender · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:56 am Post subject:

The obvious answer is do what my wife used to do when she was a smoker; put your cigarette out properly and put the cold butt in your pocket until you can get to a bin.
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"My instinct is to agree with your opinion of his verse, but I've never so much as glanced at it." - agentmancuso