On Tue, 21 Sep 2004, Rich Mallard wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
"Jim" wrote in message
...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/13301604

...

Free bus travel for all under 16? That is a diabolically bad idea...
buses will become unsafe for anyone else,

I understand what you mean [...]

(and before someone says 'not all kids do this', I would completely agree
and say it's a relatively tiny minority of teenagers.

Good to hear we all understand that.

However, this relatively tiny minority cause widespread damage running
into hundreds of thousands of pounds; we simply cannot ignore that and
allow this serious problem with bus vandalism to escalate in order to
provide free bus travel for all IMO).

So, because of the actions of a tiny number of criminals, you'd deny this
benefit to hundreds of thousands of children?

In any case, i just don't believe that this is going to lead to more
vandalism. Are you saying that the yobs, if they can't find a quid for a
bus fare, are just going to say "Oh bother! I rather suppose we can't
vandalise a bus today; let's go home and read improving books."? No -
they're just going to go off and vandalise something else, or vandalise
the outside of a bus, or else hop on a bus anyway and fare-dodge.
Moreover, i suspect that this image of gangs roaming round London, getting
on buses specifically to vandalise them, is erroneous: i suspect that
these kids are using the bus anyway (to get to school, or go to the park,
or visit their dealer, or whatever), and simply take the opportunity to
vandalise it, like a dog ****ing all over the place when it's being taken
for a walk. Free travel won't get them on the bus more, it just means
their mums'll have more cash to spend on fags.

On which subject: dogs should be banned in London. In fact, in all urban
areas. I'll allow guide dogs.

tom

ps Shall we start cross-posting this thread to uk.prejudice?

--
curry in a sack