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Hello

This article has just been released@ http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050721/356/fntmk.html

It's obviously extremely worrying about violent crime, and is an indication of the way society is going. I actually don't think that letting pubs open 24hours will make things worse though.

Steve

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

And how do they intend to do that??? the reason for binge drinking in the UK is a direct result of the current licencing laws, lets look at it! people work until say 6 so home for 7 latest then get changed, have somat to eat get ready to go out probably around 9 ish get to pub within half an hour so 9:30 latest then have one and half hours to socialise, relax with yer mates and throw a few beers down yer neck.

Bit extreme I know but you get the drift.

over her in Germany we don't think about going out until about 10pm everything is pretty dead before then.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I go out in Leeds most weekends where you can drink until 2am and past in other places. I have not seen one bit of trouble or fight where I go.

I have however been back to my home town where people go to a couple of local pubs and throw as much beer down their necks until 11pm (10.45 they all get 2 pints in) before they are kicked out and the battle for a taxi starts..... pretty much trouble every time!

I've been going out drinking now for around 12 years. total number of fights = zero! It's about the person not the time they can start or finish drinking.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Spain it's about midnight before the locals go out for a few. nice and relaxed.

Dream Weaver

Aye, was there last week and it was so relaxing to go out about 10pm, get some food then go have a few beers and watch the locals. Superb place.

Sevel Savant

GREETINGS,FROM,NIGERIA
WE,HAVE,24HOUR,VIOLENCE

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

and ebay scammer training centres.....

Leslie

I wonder if the Government's anxiousness to bring this extended drinking hours is has anything to do with the enormous charges for the extended licences.

Les

ozzy

Another problem is the drinking culture in the UK. It's all about drinking as much as you can as quickly as you can, getting pi$$ed and making an @rse of yourself.

Brendan Hughes

Gin Lane, 1751.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_Lane

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

As ozzy said, it's not the drinking hours...it's the people and their culture. The amount of people (people is too nice - scum would be a better word ) I see who seem to purely just out at the weekend to have a fight is bewildering.

Many other countries operate with no limits on drinking hours without problem - that is, with the exception of tourist resorts inhabited by the British on their holiday

Personally I think if hours were lengthened, these people would hopefully get so drunk the'd just pass out or wouldn't have the co-ordination to succesfully land a punch.

The other problem is that kicking out times of pubs and clubs are all the same times, come 11:00pm on a weekend you have shedloads of people all leaving pubs at the same time walking to the nearest club/bar that has a late licence..then at 2:00am it's all the same and 1000's of people are kicked out together - trouble will always be unavoidable with such huge amounts of pissheads on the streets at the same time and with the current UK cultures. Police at these times are massively out numbered and overstretched.

24hour drinking, accompanied by staggered closure times and fixed admission times (say 10:00) will reduce the overall amount of people on the streets at a given time. Forcing the police to have a full-time presence (good for everyone IMO) - not just for 2hours during and after closing times. And hopefully less outnumbered, so they can deal with the poor sod getting his head kicked in (and CCTV may have more chance of spotting it as it happens).

The first year or 2 of 24hours drinking laws will be chaos, as everyone will take full advantage. But I'm sure the "good" people who don't want trouble, and don't want to get their face smashed in for walking home can chose a time that suits them. To avoid this happening - rather than being forced out at 11:00/2:00am along with everyone else.

Final consideration is it "could" force public transport to run 24hours in certain areas (very doubtful given the current pathetic state of affiars - you can only hope) As pretty much all buses and trains by me finish at 11:30pm.

Graz

IMO it's about time the licensing laws were relaxed.

Admittedly it will be a bit silly for the first few months as the binge drinkers take it to extremes as I'm sure they will. As usual it's the small minority that have to ruin it for the rest of us.

But once everyone gets used to the idea that you don't have to get hammered by 11pm I would hope it will all calm down and everyone can enjoy a relaxing, steady, drinking session into the early hours of the morning without the need to get totally wasted.

Of course the obvious answer to deal with the minority is to spend some money on policing the drinking areas. Anyone found behaving anti-socially (i.e. violent, causing damage to property, etc.) should be carted away in a van, locked up in the cells for the night to sober up, and fined at least £500, more if they earn a lot and should therefore be more intelligent (though this isn't always the case). If they can't pay the fine then it should be recovered by whatever means (i.e. send the baliffs in for their TV etc.). Might make them think twice then before causing a nusicience on the streets.

Brendan Hughes

OMG You're my old headmaster!

Graz

LOL Your right that's the sort of thing the teachers / headmaster used to say at my school

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

We have late buses that run until 3am from the town to the surrounding estates and the last train runs at 12 -12:30 not sure exactly and start again at 5am.

Oh and you don't need a 2nd mortgage to use them either.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Oh well, looks like I may have to brush up on my German then

imlach

Stuttgart was great when I was working there.

Certain pubs/clubs in the city centre seemed to be open until the early hours (and by that, I mean 6-7am!). Quite bizarre, but not quite so great when one was working at 8am!! Wednesday night seemed to be a popular night in Stuttgart!!!!!! Of course, no-one was rat-arsed a la the UK

...and being continental, everyone has a tab at the bar (recorded on your beermat) which you don't pay until you leave. Needless to say, one of my Scottish colleagues warned me to watch out for this one, as he'd got rat-arsed one night on his tab, and then just walked out the bar without settling up. He was remembered by the barman upon his return 3 weeks later!!! That system just would NOT work in the UK

Worst bit though was when I was out for a stroll one night trying to find a Scottish colleague and ended up in the red light district - a street not far from the Rathaus (Willhelms Place?) - across that big main road and behind there - it was near a club called the Cavern (and/or cavern like) which I was trying to get to......to this day, no-one believes I was genuinely lost of course!!!

imlach

Oh, and as for English licensing laws, I've always found it quite an eye-opener down there compared to our relaxed Ecosse system....

The PANIC that sets in around 10-11pm in England's city centres while you rush to find a club to get into (and once in, you can't change) before 11-midnight.

Here in Edinburgh, you're still in the pub until midnight-1am, and THEN you think about which club to go to.

Not that I partake very often these days.........