On the Spit Fines

Chewing gum is a spot on the pavement (US = sidewalk) a stain on the stone, that won’t budge – it costs local authorities a lot of money to remove.

Well, now the forces of Laura Norder are going to stop the spot, eradicate the stain.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 anyone can be fined on the spot up to £50 for littering – not something that absorbs PC Plod’s time or effort. Well the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 made littering illegal and the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 defines gum and smoking materials (not just butts) as litter. Local Authorities can now fine you for spitting gum – that means the new breed of ersatz plods, Street Wardens, “Community” Wardens and maybe even Traffic Wardens can fine the gum spitter (but not the swallower) up to £50 – er…on the spot.

The Chewing Gum Action Group, (honestly) sponsored by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), includes chewing gum industry representatives, the Keep Britain Tidy Group, the DfES, the Local Government Association and the street-cleaning industry has launched a publicity drive which includes both "awareness-raising" advertising and publicity to reinforce strict enforcement measures. This includes posters in busy shopping areas and on telephone boxes and beer mats.

They want to stop gum- gobbing and save money for local authorities faced with big clean-up bills for scraping used gum off the streets.
A special trial began today in Preston and will be extended next month to Manchester and Maidstone.

Specially-designed disposal pouches will be handed out in pedestrian shopping areas. Local councils will also employ trained wardens to issue fines to those who drop gum.

Ben Bradshaw, the oleaginous Exeter MP who lives in Tony Blair’s trousers and is the Environment Minister (also singlehandedly has helped to effect the destruction of the North Sea Cod) said in Ministry Press Release:
"The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act passed by Parliament before the election included a range of measures to improve the appearance of the local environment. One of them was making it clear that chewing gum is litter and that people who get caught dropping it are liable to be fined.

Reaction to the campaign will be assessed ( let me guess, ...... let’s roll it out nationwide) and the information used to develop a national campaign later this year.

So yet again this Gubment of obsessed micro-managers are flooding our streets, overlooked universally by CCTV cameras, with swarming uniformed Wardens with powers for on the spit fines.

“Man proud man dressed in a little brief authority”.
Measure for Measure (Isabella Act II,Sc. ii)

Want my reaction to the campaign ? I fucking despair.