Going Tubular in London

Boris Johnson‘s ban on open booze on London public transit has certainly brought out the best in his fellow citizens. What better way to prove that drinking on the Tube is a perfectly civilized activity and nothing that Londoners can’t handle than to Facebook a few thousand of your closest strangers and get knee-walking, vomit-comet drunk on the last night of booze-freedom?

The Guardian reports:

Police arrested 17 people and closed six London Underground stations after a party to mark the last day of legal drinking on the Tube ended in chaotic scenes.

Four train drivers and three other London Underground staff were assaulted, one police vehicle was damaged and two officers assaulted and another injured.

Witnesses said the stench of alcohol on the network was overpowering and that people were “being sick all over the place”. Drunken partygoers began fighting and vomiting as the midnight ban on drinking drew nearer.

Way to go, London! That will show them you can handle your booze.

From the BBC:

Londoner Matt Wynn, 43, a banker, said: “I’ve come along with a bottle of Champagne because I want to show that you can drink responsibly on the Tube and not cause trouble.”

But others took a different approach from the beginning.

Peter Moore, 35, a sailor from Brighton, said he had downed a can of beer in 10 seconds. “It’s sweaty on there, but I’m going round and round until I vomit,” he said…

As Saturday night wore on, eyewitnesses described how drunken partygoers began fighting and vomiting, ripping up maps and adverts, spilling alcohol and leaving debris.

British Transport Police said there was a “large amount” of instances of disorder reported.Liverpool Street underground station was closed to ease overcrowding for several hours. Other Tube stations closed by police were Euston, Euston Square, Aldgate, Gloucester Road and Baker Street.

Let’s go to YouTube for a closer look at what really happened, shall we?

remind you of anything?

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Coffee is Evil!

I worked at Starbucks for seven years. I know what I’m talking about here.

Yet, as I may have mentioned, every time I tried to make latte art, it just turned out looking like a vagina.

animal

how to make a Dirty Martini REALLY dirty

Married To The Sea

Another from Married to the Sea.

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Insite Court Challenge

Community Groups take Federal Government to  Court over Safe Injection Site

Sunday, April 27, 2007

On Monday, April 28, Pivot Legal Society director John Conroy will be representing the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users in a 10-day trial challenging the Federal Minister of Health’s ability to close Insite, the safe injection site in Vancouver.

Joe Arvey, representing the Portland Hotel Society which manages the site, will also be testing the federal government’s power to close Insite.

Where: B.C. Supreme Courthouse

When: Monday, April 28, 10am

Duration: 10 days

Case name: VANDU v. AG Canada and Minister of Health; PHS Community Services Society et al v. AG Canada

Presiding Judge: Judge Pitfield

It has been more than four years since Insite, the first supervised injection site in North America, opened with the goal of increasing access to drug treatment, reducing street disorder, and preventing overdose deaths and disease transmission among Vancouver’s drug user population. Numerous scientific studies in medical journals such as the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine have shown the effectiveness of the site in meeting those objectives. The Federal Government’s select advisory committee on Insite also published a report two weeks ago documenting the success of the site.

Despite the medical evidence, the Federal Minister of Health has refused to grant a permanent exemption to Section 56 of the Narcotics Control Act for Insite, which allows the injection of drugs on the facilities. Instead, the Minister has granted to two temporary extensions to the exemption. The most recent exemption is due to expire on June 30, 2008. After that, the future of Insite is uncertain.

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About Pivot Legal Society
Pivot’s mandate is to take a strategic approach to social change, using the law to address the root causes that undermine the quality of life of those most on the margins. We believe that everyone, regardless of income, benefits from a healthy and inclusive community where values such as opportunity, respect and equality are strongly rooted in the law.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Pivot Newswire, just send a note with that subject line to newswire AT pivotlegal DOT org

a medical emergency

You can’t blame her, really.

Medicinal Marijuana for emergencies only

Well, have you?