Wave of common sense

Remember how yesterday I wrote about a Glasgow shopping centre that called the police because a man refused to stop taking pictures of his four-year-old daughter eating ice cream? The police came and threatened the man with arrest under the prevention of terrorism act, and he pretty much called their bluff. He started up a facebook page and got 20,000 likes without breaking a sweat. Well, it seems today that the shopping centre owners, Capital Shopping Centres, has capitulated. They are now allowing photography in all their shopping centres.

Makes it sound like they’re doing us a favour doesn’t it, except they’re not. Like I said yesterday, the police have to have reasonable cause to believe someone is a terrorist before using the prevention of terrorism act, and snapping pictures of a child eating ice cream is not likely to qualify. There is no other legislation they can use to stop people taking pictures in public. The shopping centre has relented only because they have realised that they can’t enforce the rule. Also they probably just realised that they are going to lose trade because the rule is nuts! Things may be changing ladies and gentlemen. Slowly, but surely, a wave of common sense is sweeping over the beach and swallowing the rock-pools of insanity!

A naked man has glued himself to a desk in a job centre in Bridlington in protest at not receiving disability allowance or mobility benefit. He apparently suffers from chronic arthritis. I can’t exactly see why he chose to do this naked, but I guess he got some publicity.

The trial of Vincent Tabak started this week. He’s accused of murdering Joanna Yeates in Bristol. Apparently he’s admitted manslaughter, but not murder. He’s as good as convicted already if you ask me. It looks like she was strangled. How can that be manslaughter? All sorts of information has emerged since yesterday. Apparently in the days following Yeates’ disappearance Tabak was researching how long a body takes to decompose, and sentences for manslaughter and murder. He also sent a text message to his girlfriend very soon after the killing saying he was bored. He also went out and bought crisps and beer from the local supermarket, possibly with the body in the boot of his car.