Today's letters: 9 May
Ban is a gimmick
It seems a little odd that one of the first things Boris Johnson does as Mayor is ban drinking on London transport. Most yobs don’t need a drink in them to act yobbish. Will children drinking shandy and old men taking nips from hip flasks be told to get off the Tube, DLR or bus? The trouble with so much of modern politics is that it is all about gimmicks and petty authoritarianism. Why ban something if it isn’t causing others harm? There are already laws against being drunk and disorderly. Why can’t these be used? The real safety problem on transport concerns dark, empty, unmanned railway stations and the risk of using near-empty late-night trains or buses.
James Wild, London
Betrayed by Boris
To Boris Johnson: I can’t believe you have turned on me like this (“Boris bans the booze on public transport”, Wednesday). The only people who will be deterred by this transport booze ban are those law-abiding citizens who enjoy a drink but have something to lose. Criminals won’t give a monkey’s and will continue as normal!
Joe
Mayor is out of his depth
So Boris Johnson wants to take away Tube drivers’ right to strike, yet he intends to cause inevitable delays and disruption through the implementation of a pointless knee-jerk alcohol ban? Is he really qualified to run something a bit bigger than The Spectator?
Ellen, Croydon
Tube hen Parties
In response to Ollie’s text yesterday about drunk men on the Tube: what about the drunk, loud women who treat carriages like their own venues for hen parties?
James, victoriA
Joss adds class
Hearing that Mayor Boris Johnson will scrap the additional congestion charge for 4x4s was good. Seeing him add a bit of class to London by drinking champagne with Joan Collins, Joss Stone and David Cameron was great (“Mayor is toeing the party line”, yesterday). But reading the Ken apologists bemoaning Boris’s ban on alcohol on the Tube actually made up for the last eight years of hell!
Alan, Kensington
Sensible action
To your texter Glen, who yesterday said he had worked on the Tube and that drinking alcohol on trains was already illegal: drinking alcohol on the Underground has never been illegal! And it’s a good thing that it soon will be. London Underground staff can easily enforce this new law with the help of the transport police. RMT union general secretary Bob Crow is taking the p***, as usual. When will the Government clamp down on his ridiculous empire?
Sean
Give us time to tan
It seems us ladies can’t win: it’s either pasty legs or orange legs! If the Government would just allow us all a few more precious days of holiday, we would no doubt all be perfectly bronzed natural beauties!
Holly, surrey
Humbled by kindness
On Wednesday, I managed to lose my rather expensive mobile phone on the Tube. As soon as I got above ground, I called the number, and the gentleman who had picked it up offered to bring it to me, at some cost to himself. He duly turned up, was obviously of very modest means, and proceeded to flatly refuse the financial reward I offered. Sir, I don’t know from which planet you hail, but God bless you.
Andy Nelson
Amy was so beautiful
In reply to the letter “Amy was hot” (yesterday): I’m not happy with the way Amy Winehouse is treating herself, using narcotics. Compare pictures of her today with the old picture of her in thelondontalk yesterday: she used to be a sexy, charming and beautiful icon. All eyes were on her! But now, unfortunately, she doesn’t really look like the Amy of yesterday.
Isa
