Vocal Voices

So it is being suggested that the Government will introduce legislation this week to allow all licenced cafes, restaurants and bars, when they reopen in July (presumably), to operate as off-licences, for the sale of beer and wine for drinking on the pavement, on the street. The idea is to promote an "al fresco revolution" and get people eating and drinking outdoors - some London boroughs are actively planning to facilitate this by closing designated roads to vehicular traffic. The social distancing 2m rule will be halved.

But seeing as how this is Britain:-
Who is going to clear up the mounds of rubbish and litter, plastic drinking cups, food containers, whatever that are going to be strewn around the place every night? And who is going to monitor the last vestiges of the social distancing policy and deal with the drunk and disorderly violence that's going to follow? And do we really trust Brits to "play it properly" after what we've seen happening in the protests and the raves which have taken place in the last couple of weeks?

Oh my god! That's a terrible idea, promoting drunkenness in the streets

Honestly, could this government be any more stupid, and out of touch?

Oh God, not another three word slogan, an "al fresco revolution".

If it's good for the pubs to reopen with a a 1m rule, one that will not be kept, then we might as well drop the pretence of lockdown and go every man / woman / child for themselves.

[sarky]Get the kids back to school, open the hotels and factories, fill up the ICUs and Nightingales, get the planes in the air.[/sarky]

"Do we really trust Brits to "play it properly" after what we've seen happening in the protests and the raves which have taken place in the last couple of weeks?"
In a word, no.
If the experience in our village is anything to go by anyway. The Sainsbury's local put a one way system in place - it was ignored. People are going the wrong way into the shop, u-turning inside it and gossiping with the staff when there is a queue outside in the rain, etc. Some down our street have been going on public transport for non-essential journeys. The as you say there are the raves, the bbq's, the demos, people driving 200 miles from London to virus free areas, the list is endless.
Whatever rules and laws are in place they are no use if they are not enforced; and we don't have enough police on the ground to enforce them, or in some quarters the political will to enforce them.
Some people have never observed the rules, others who have are fed up with seeing others break them with no consequences.
So no, we won't play it properly.

The biggest hope I have are two scientists. One an Israeli who says covid is a 70-day virus and will die out; another from a Scottish university who predicts there will be no second wave because covid is not flu.

I have no scientific grounds for believing them, I just hope that they are right.

Just seen on TV at one of the football matches-Arsenal was one of the teams- where players from both sides were in a group as a deison did not please the players
on one side.

So much for "proffesional" footballers following the rules. Shoul dock every player involved a weeks wages.

Mr Sunak said the outcome of the review will "make an enormous difference" to businesses "keen to see a change".

Excuse me, but how can he possibly know that when the review is not yet completed?

Oh, I think I know. The decision has already been made, so the report has to be worded to fit the decision before it is published. Simple, really.

It gets ever more farcical.

Handbag told Sophie Ridge this morning that you might have to register before going to the pub for a pint.

"Hello, is the the Nags?"
"Yes."
"I would like to book for a group of five on Tuesday the 23rd, about 2:30."
"Sorry, we only have room for three on that date, but if you want Thursday the 25th we have slots from 11:15 to 12:23. Do you have our app?"
"No."
"It gives all the slots 14 days ahead and you can book up to five."

Reviews can be done but not fully documented, the conclusions can be compile without the full report written.

Knowing the result before the three weeks of finessing the report is normal.

The review was announced by Bunter on the 14th of June. It was still in progress when Sunak made his announcement on the 20th - just one week.

It was supposed to be being carried out for an announcement to be made about events for July the 4th.

Please stop trying to excuse these chancers, incompetents and idiots.

Workingman wrote:It gets ever more farcical. Handbag told Sophie Ridge this morning that you might have to register before going to the pub for a pint.

Yes, I've seen that suggestion that you'll have to order by App and also give your name and contact details. How regulations that that are going to get the hospitality trade back in business, I've no idea. If we go out for a meal, it's usually on a whim, and we never book ahead - if we find a cafe / restaurant's full (unlikely around here), we just move on elsewhere.

And that's before you get the tracking apps passing your drinking habits on to the NHS .....