Whilst MI5 struggle with a lack of resources to combat the ongoing threat of Islamic Extremism, readers will be pleased to learn that taxes have been spent on the prosecution of two London cabbies for urinating in the street. As a consequence of the conviction for causing a public nuisance their hackney licence i.e their livelihood, was placed under review for four months, before they were let off with a warning.
Public Carriage Officer senior service delivery manager Simon Buggey conceded that removing the offenders licences would have been excessive, “to do this for someones first offence of peeing in the street might be considered draconian.” Really?
Ruthie can’t help thinking that such minor level prosecutions are currently being brought to give a perception of control to the kind of people that vote. Never mind the hospital debt crisis or the threat of being blown up, we can surely at least tackle the littering problem. And every prosecution is another point on the statistics.
P.S. There are no public toilets open in Westminster after 11pm.
P.P.S Perhaps this is to ensure that MP’s do not use them…
I’d have thought necessity was a good defence here, in the most literal sense possible. However I’m sure it has been tried and I imagine doomed.
What the hell is one supposed, legally, to do in this situation? Can’t hold it in but nowhere to let it out. Presumably one is supposed to urinate or defaecate in ones trousers? Or wear a nappy just in case.
Now there’s a though Al Queda terrorists wearing nappies to avoid the risk of arrest.
I agree that depriving these people of their livelihoods would be excessive. But what about something more reasonable - say an on the spot fine of £100 and a photo on a website (”Weeweb London”)? The fact is that it’s a pretty disgusting thing to do and makes the streets stink. I imagine the prospect of a fine would encourage men to learn a bit of bladder control.
In Ruthie’s experience taxi licences are very strictly regulated and the requirements strictly enforced. Applicants are generally required to disclose all previous convictions, including those “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. And rightly so you might think. Cabs may be expensive and the quality of the conversation may leave something to be desired, but you can at least be reasonably confident that you will not be raped or mugged.
Barristers have a lot to learn from cabbies. Both professions are comprised of self employed independent contractors, but despite their independence cabbies work together with ruthless efficacy, protecting their collective interests. Barristers however still have yet to reconcile themselves to business reality; that the bar is a business not a vocation, and simply getting the qualification in itself is no longer a guarantee of riches and admiriation. If barristers learned to work together a lot of the recent changes to the criminal justice system could have been tempered.
In truth pressbunny I agree with you to a degree: I accept its disgusting and God it does make the streets stink something awful but sometimes you have no choice. In city centres there’s very often a pub /macdonalds/coffeeshop to use (of course councils don’t do public loos anymore) but in some areas and at some times in the early day or the late of night there is nowhere. What do you do then? try ‘bladder control‘ on 3 or 4 pints of beer when you’ve got an hours journey home to a distant suburb on the bus.
What I really want to know is how female taxi drivers deal with this problem. If there are any female taci drivers reading this, please let me know. A couple of years ago Ruthie did see an invention called, I think, a Whizz; basically a funnel with a tube attached which allowed women to pee standing up. The alternative is to bare ones freezing arse to the world and try desperately not to pee on ones trousers or shoes. If women have a design fault this is it.
“If women have a design fault this is it.”
The ultimate proof that God is NOT a woman!!
No, since God gave us larger brains to compensate…
vICTORIAN LAW ALLOWED CABBIES TO URINATE IF THEY DIRECTED THEIR OUTPUT ON TO A REAR WHEEL. “PROFESSIONAL LADIES” USED TO SQUAT OVER ROAD DRAINS WHEN NATURE CALLED.
Thanks Keyrawn. Actually I did read that some cabbies mistakenly believe that the Victorian law is still in force. I guess squatting over road drains for women was okay when we wore huge crinolenes to hide everything
Ruthie: it’s called, with appalling tweeness, the SheWee:
http://www.blushingbuyer.co.uk/acatalog/SheWee.html?sentby=google_shewee
They were launched at the Glastonbury Festival a few years ago, if I remember rightly. I was shown one at the time.
I’m told they are, frankly, rubbish.
I think I saw one at Glastonbury in pretty pink toilets - but I wasn’t allowed to play with it. Shame.
Good Grief. Well at least no-one can complain that this site isn’t educational. Even if the only person who learns something is me!
Geeklawyer: I’m sure we can procure one of these items for you to play with if you wish, pervert.
Whilst engaged in a lengthy search for a public convenience today Ruthie managed to get a flat battery on her motorbike, having considered, but rejected the possibility of peeing behind a call box. Motorcycle leathers cause particular difficulties as the jacket zips into the trousers.
Hmm. I thought councils had a legal duty to provide public conveniences. Open ones that is. …over to you, law-type people.
[Sigh] Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and what do they want to know about? Since public conveniences seem to have generated a deluge of interest, I will take some time out of my hectic schedule to research the point for you. I suppose it is at least a subject of universal interest…
Micturation is the one thing in which all readers are united. A subject near to our hearts. Well, about 18 inches away I suppose.
I’d be interested if you could find any urination cases in the law reports!
Um… may I just comment that the Whizz is a brilliant and very useful invention. For any female like me who hikes or treks - or who accompanies partner-who-hikes-and-treks, on training walks - it’s a godsend! I’m not a shy and retiring type in any way whatsoever, but even I like a shred of privacy on the South Downs, when desperate and with no tree cover! They’re excellent. Don’t know about the shewee but they look scarily flimsy.
Re: the cabbies….. *sigh*. What a waste of money.