EVERY so often we hear of a case where someone has either taken advantage of or fallen foul of some obscure law that has lain dormant in the statute books for centuries. Mercifully the outcome is never in line with the sort of punishment current at the time of its creation, but court time is often wasted over trivial matters.
It has become a common tactic for those opposed to what might be called social legislation to cite extreme outcomes that are possible under the legislation as if they were part of its core aim. Taking a step back to consider some of the claims made for the Named Person legislation, you saw outcomes ranging from the highly unlikely to the physically impossible. Into the same basket should go the notion that your non-PC auntie is going to end up in police custody because of some unfortunate remark made over the dinner table (Letters, November 3). As with teachers “enforcing” the Named Persons legislation the police have better things to do with their time which is why the aforementioned obscure legislation remains just that.
There is a challenge here for our MSPs to occasionally put aside party politics and explore the wonders of consensus lest further well intentioned and probably beneficial legislation falls victim to the sort of conspiracy theorists who see a set of double yellow lines as the first step on the road to a totalitarian state.
Robin Irvine, Helensburgh.
ELECTRIC SHOCKS
GLASGOW’S electric vehicle drivers have already been conned by the city council, which removed free parking while they stopped to charge their vehicles. Now EV drivers pay Glasgow council £4 each hour for parking while their electric car tops up with £1.10 worth of electric charge.
How will the council now seek to con money from the new electric scooter users? Look forward to fines for parking scooters on pavements when their users are visiting shops or a city-wide licence fee to permit users to use their scooters in Glasgow.
As Scotland’s most "ungreen" council, you can be sure it will come up with some form of anti-green tax to fill its coffers.
Douglas Martyn, Lanark.
SHAKE ON IT
MAY I rush to endorse the sentiments in Alan Steele's letter (November 3) about goal celebrations. It is incredible – to use the commentator's favourite word – that when even a few, token punters are excluded and when some players are in isolation whole teams of professionals are allowed to slaver over the scorer and anybody near him. Try that in a restaurant and see how long you last.
Bob Crampsey, who was included in the Those Were the Days picture, could quote from a notice on the wall of Queens Park's home dressing room: 'When a goal is scored the Captain may shake the scorer's hand." Those were the days indeed.
Rab Williams, Falkirk.
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