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Child Item

Waterford to ban swearing/smoking in parks

thomasm

http://www.newstalk.com/Waterford-City-Council-smoking-cursing-fines-new-rules-children-parks

Waterford Council has voted in a by law that fines someone cursing in a public park €1,270. Also banning skateboarding and roller blading unless your a council employee.

Smoking and E-Cigs also banned with effect from July 1st.

Seems to be put in place to curb anti social behavior. Why not just enforce current laws?

Nanny council or necessary measure ?

No idea how to put up a poll for this.

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316

Waterford Council have too much time on their hands to be introducing this foolishness, how are they going to police it. The swear cops?

Gas Jockey

This is ridiculous. There are plenty of public order laws in existance to help deal with this sort of behaviour without adding in laws penalising people for appropriately enjoying the oublic space. I need to see the particular wording, but it seems that barbeques (regardless of the fuel used), cycling and smoking are to be banned. E-cigarettes have been included in the edict, despite there being absolutely no evidence of harm.
any idea of who voted in favour of this?

actuallylike

What's cursing? Different people think different things. Are they going to release a list of outlawed words? That would be funny.

B.I.O.Y.H.

Sounds more like a headline from Waterford Whispers.

Gas Jockey

From the WC&C parks website;

"The People’s Park which is adjacent to the City Centre offers a relaxing environment for strollers, joggers, skate boarders and families."

Scratch skate boarders!

plasticman3327

What about the actual skatepark located in the park itself?!?

Gas Jockey

plasticman3327 wrote: »

What about the actual skatepark located in the park itself?!?

Elf 'n safety, mate! We won't take the responsibility, but won't allow people exercise personal responsibility either. Safer that way.

MRnotlob606

thomasm wrote:

Waterford Council has voted in a by law that fines someone cursing in a public park â‚¬1,270. Also banning skateboarding and roller blading unless your a council employee.

So we'll be seeing council employees on skateboards more often?

MRnotlob606

Who elected these people?

old gregg

A bag of cans at the bandstand just won't be the same :P

Gas Jockey

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

So we'll be seeing council employees on skateboards more often?

not without the proper training, safety equipment, licensng...

stephenl15

Whatever about the smoking... But swearing!! What a ****ing joke

Gas Jockey

Maybe hey mean the whole Bible/court thing? Yearh, that must be what is is.

Gas Jockey

Maybe hey mean the whole Bible/court thing? Yeah, that must be what is is.

Gas Jockey

THis might help.
mentalfloss.com/article/21106/obscenity-vs-profanity-vs-vulgarity-whats-difference

deisemum

Bloody ridiculous, smacks of a money making exercise going by the size of the fines.

Paully D

Plenty of this so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz-Kb1wvy8s

beyondbelief67

B.I.O.Y.H. wrote: »

Sounds more like a headline from Waterford Whispers.

That's exactly what I told my son when he told me about it, I thought someone was winding him up !
How are they going to enforce this in the skate park in the people's park in Waterford, how do they expect kids to get to it !

BuffyBot

To call this slightly idiotic would be an understatement..

CantGetNoSleep

Big willy poopoo

katydid

thomasm wrote: »

http://www.newstalk.com/Waterford-City-Council-smoking-cursing-fines-new-rules-children-parks

. Also banning skateboarding and roller blading unless your a council employee.
.

????????

Wanderer78

hahaha time to dust off the skateboard,roller blades and loud hailer. ive a few things to say!

ROCKMAN

Pensioner robbed in city centre .....

But its ok because 5 people were caught using foul language in the parks ,
3 for the F word ,
1 for the wrong use of the word Balls
and 1 for using the word Kilkenny .

In other news
A dawn raid has manage to catch 7 known E-cig users in the act ,a spoke person for the council has said.. it's great to get these dangerous criminals of the streets.
In a related matter Waterford council today said they are delighted with their employees sign up figures in the new roller blade for life programme.

Stokolan

Now if they could just get people to pick up their dog's S̶h̶i̶t̶e̶ we'll be sorted.

DivingDuck

Paully D wrote: »

Plenty of this so:

<Father Ted 'Fupp Off' scene>

That was my thought, as well. Utter nonsense, all of it. No swearing? No e-cigs, outdoors? Rollerblades only for council workers?!

Did someone release an inter-office prank memo as a press release, or...?

katydid

DivingDuck wrote: »

That was my thought, as well. Utter nonsense, all of it. No swearing? No e-cigs, outdoors? Rollerblades only for council workers?!

Did someone release an inter-office prank memo as a press release, or...?

I can see the logic of the e-cigs. We have banned them in my workplace, indoors or outdoors. Otherwise it's impossible for the people who are supposed to police these things to know at a distance what kind of cigarette someone is smoking. They would have to go over, check it wasn't a real cigarette. Someone could be smoking a real one, put it out and whip out the e-cigarette by the time the person checking got to them (and don't laugh, that was one of the "tricks" smokers admitted to in my workplace, and which initiated the total ban)

DivingDuck

katydid wrote: »

I can see the logic of the e-cigs. We have banned them in my workplace, indoors or outdoors. Otherwise it's impossible for the people who are supposed to police these things to know at a distance what kind of cigarette someone is smoking. They would have to go over, check it wasn't a real cigarette. Someone could be smoking a real one, put it out and whip out the e-cigarette by the time the person checking got to them (and don't laugh, that was one of the "tricks" smokers admitted to in my workplace, and which initiated the total ban)

I see where you're coming from, though I doubt people would go to this effort in a park, which is a temporary locale, as opposed to work, which is a lot less temporary. Maybe that's overly optimistic, though.

To be honest, I absolutely hate smoking and would be happy to see the back of it for good, but e-cigs seem to be helping smokers put real cigs behind them, and considering the exhale is basically lightly scented water vapour, I feel it's unreasonable to ban it in an outdoor environment.

ec18

surely this is something that is unenforceable from a legal point of view?

ROCKMAN

DivingDuck wrote: »

I see where you're coming from, though I doubt people would go to this effort in a park, which is a temporary locale, as opposed to work, which is a lot less temporary. Maybe that's overly optimistic, though.

To be honest, I absolutely hate smoking and would be happy to see the back of it for good, but e-cigs seem to be helping smokers put real cigs behind them, and considering the exhale is basically lightly scented water vapour, I feel it's unreasonable to ban it in an outdoor environment.

Can't see it been enforced and if it was by who ? I'm sure the Gardaí will have better things to do ,So are we looking at extra duties for the Traffic wardens or Dog wardens even ,is there plans to create a few jobs around these new rules.

I'm a E-cig user and it has got me off a 40 a day habit and keep me off them for nearly 2 years now so I am bias but I can't see the logic about barring what is as you said Scented water valour in open spaces .

Also maybe the more legally minded could let us know if it would stand up in court etc etc if someone was to take it that far.

One last thing I know of 2 elderly gentlemen who meet most mornings for a chat and a smoke on a bench (far from any kids play areas ) So are we to now to treat hem like criminal/lawbreakers for doing something they have been doing for years . Just doesn't seem right to me.

.

bpmurray

Did anyone actually read the bye-law document? You can download it here.

It defines parks and playgrounds as smoke-free zones, stating that also includes E-cigs, so that's nothing unusual. It has, however a few things that could be considered overly broad.:

You may not "Beg, gamble, use obscene or profane language, behave indecently or cause annoyance". Since "obscene" is subjective and "profane" is actually unconstitutional (you can't limit religion) and neither term is defined, it's unenforceable.
"No person shall organise, conduct or participate in any musical performance (whether vocal or instrumental)" so don't sing in the park!
"No person shall use any park or open space for the purpose of making a film": this actually forbids you from taking a film of your kids on your iPhone.