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coming soon to a police state near you [Thu, 20-Sep-2007 12:24 PM]
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[music |Emergency Broadcast Network -- Psychoactive Drugs (Uncut Mix)]

Drug Scanner Checks Public

Police used the force's new drugs itemiser - which scans people for traces of banned substances - at the Litten Tree pub. It was the first time the new technology, which detects traces of drugs from heroin to cannabis, had been used in the town.

Police officers tested 150 revellers as they arrived at the pub in Sheep Street between 10.30pm and midnight on Friday.

The pub managers barred anyone refusing to co-operate with the test from entering.

Det Sgt Steve Duffy, of Banbury CID, said two people tested positive and were searched but not found to be in possession of drugs. The pair were then banned from entering the pub, but not arrested.

Mr Duffy said: "It went very well. We gained the full co-operation of the management and the customers." He said: "The public were very supportive. Many people were saying they wanted to be tested."

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Comments:
[User Picture]From: [info]ghewgill
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 7:27 PM (UTC)

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I think that's what people get for going to a pub on Sheep Street.
[User Picture]From: [info]theealex
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 7:32 PM (UTC)

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I think that's what you deserve for drinking in a Litten Tree chain pub.
[User Picture]From: [info]dariens_haircut
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 7:41 PM (UTC)

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Well, ok. What about when this sickness spreads to all pubs and becomes mandated by law (maybe in that order... or not)? Or is that only going to happen here in the states.
[User Picture]From: [info]sweh
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 7:58 PM (UTC)

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There'd be rioting in the streets if it became too hard for an Englishman to get his daily beer!
[User Picture]From: [info]pozorvlak
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 8:37 PM (UTC)

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"You can have your pint, Sir, you just need to breathe into this tube... What's that you say, Sir? If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear..."
[User Picture]From: [info]yourmofofriend
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 8:06 PM (UTC)

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So, is this nonsense happening in the UK or US?
UK I guess, but only a matter of time till it gets here as well.
Amazing how fast democracy falls apart once you get people scared enough...
[User Picture]From: [info]pozorvlak
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 8:35 PM (UTC)

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UK: this was in Bicester, which is about half-an-hour's drive north of Oxford. As a former Oxfordshire resident, I find this especially depressing.
[User Picture]From: [info]dixieflatline
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 12:15 AM (UTC)

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yeah bro i'm hella stoked for Bush's 3rd term! I mean why are we even bothering to have elections next year since democracy is dead and shit now
[User Picture]From: [info]justmealex
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 8:26 PM (UTC)

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God forbid I had a joint the night prior and now want to go out for a pint! Obviously I'm a danger to myself and others.
From: [info]puppygalore
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 8:55 PM (UTC)

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Holy fuck. Do not want.
[User Picture]From: [info]prog
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 9:42 PM (UTC)

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Isn't the solution just to let the management know that you'll be taking your reveling somewhere else henceforth, and then doing so? If there's one thing that will retard the encroaching police state, it is convincing enough people that they'll lose money on it.

This is less helpful advice if there's only one pub in town, of course, but I also suspect that a one-horse town would hesitate to blow resources on stunts like this. I dunno what Bicester's lot is.
[User Picture]From: [info]autodidactic
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 9:51 PM (UTC)

this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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Guh. Must move to Canada.
[User Picture]From: [info]dixieflatline
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:27 PM (UTC)

Re: this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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Seems like a bit of a long haul considering this is in... you know... the UK.
[User Picture]From: [info]autodidactic
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 1:43 AM (UTC)

Re: this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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It'll be over here in a minute, you know.
[User Picture]From: [info]grumpy_sysadmin
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 5:29 PM (UTC)

Re: this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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Canada isn't far enough away any more. Geographically or politically.
[User Picture]From: [info]autodidactic
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 5:37 PM (UTC)

Re: this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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:( I'm afraid you're right.
[User Picture]From: [info]transgress
Sat, 22-Sep-2007 11:01 PM (UTC)

Re: this has been a popular refrain these past six years

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havent been to vancouver eh?
[User Picture]From: [info]kyhwana
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 10:26 PM (UTC)

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WTF.. so if my neighbours smoke pot _I_ get banned? Gee, that sounds like a great idea!
[User Picture]From: [info]satanlvsu2
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 10:45 PM (UTC)

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50 people need to get stoned, wait a day, then dress in suits and all get poped going into the bar and play stupid. That would fuck up their program.
[User Picture]From: [info]temp_revenge
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:14 PM (UTC)

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If you've got bar owners here in the U.S. freaking out over banning smoking, the chance of this technology being embraced by American businesses is probably very small.
[User Picture]From: [info]dixieflatline
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:28 PM (UTC)

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LOOK INTO MY EYE
[User Picture]From: [info]temp_revenge
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:39 PM (UTC)

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My favorite ambiguous quote from a movie. I still don't get what he means by it either.
[User Picture]From: [info]rapier1
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 2:02 AM (UTC)

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The finger he's using to point at his eye.
From: [info]hatter
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:30 PM (UTC)

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We've only had a smoking ban in england and wales for a couple of months, and it was tabled a year or so before that - bar owners were freaking out then, but they're over it now, just like ireland, scotland, NYC and all the others that went before.

Still, this drug widget seems to be a once-off technology showcase (guess that didn't go quite to plan) and either the bar owner was stupid/paid a lot of money, or the bar owner wanted to scare off some problematic druggies so they're go give trouble to another place in future.


the hatter
[User Picture]From: [info]temp_revenge
Thu, 20-Sep-2007 11:39 PM (UTC)

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I know that in bigger cities the smoking ban is better tolerated but in places like where I live it would never fly. Not in a bar anyways.

One thing I liked about the smoking ban in the UK was that it gave me a chance to see what pubs had the hottest girls. They'd come out in shifts to smoke and from that I could make my decision.

[User Picture]From: [info]arn
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 4:26 AM (UTC)

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Being asthmatic, I rather enjoyed being able to go to a pub and not have to walk outside to breathe every 30 seconds.
[User Picture]From: [info]lifelike001
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 6:03 AM (UTC)

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weve had our pub/club/bar smoking ban in australia since july and the one good thing thats come out of it is the resurgence of the House Party :D
[User Picture]From: [info]ammutbite
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 12:34 AM (UTC)

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Good to know...And even more encouraging is the trend that as long as it's sold with the label "this is in everyone's best interests" this technology will soon be coming to wherever you may be. UK, US, Canada, Australia, etc.
Remember, if you retain a shred of individual rights, the terrorists win.
[User Picture]From: [info]rapier1
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 2:06 AM (UTC)

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All I have to say is "What a bunch of fucking pussies."


[User Picture]From: [info]strspn
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 3:04 AM (UTC)

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[User Picture]From: [info]korgmeister
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 4:00 AM (UTC)

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People get barred from entering a pub for stupid and arbitrary reasons, film at 11.
From: [info]rodgerd
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 7:33 AM (UTC)

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I'm not surprised the average inhabitant of an English pub might be concerned about people on E or dope. It might get in the way of drinking until you puke in the toilets, starting a shoving match, getting told to leave, staggering into the street, having a punch-up outside the pub, chundering in the street, staggering off to get curry, eating, puking in the street, pissing in the street, picking a few more fights on the way home, and collapsing unconcious in the general vicinity of your house.

Of course, I did spend time in the area of Birmingham, so that may have coloured my perceptions.
From: [info]macgirvin
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 12:25 PM (UTC)

Welcome to the police state

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Here in Australia, such actions are quite common - only the technology is new. Every couple of weeks there's a news report about the police taking some drug sniffing dogs into a pub on Friday night, and the dogs do what they do best - and people go to jail.

If you want to catch a buzz here, just don't do it outside a pub on Friday night. Do it before church on Sunday. Nobody's gonna' take the canines into church on Sunday morning to sniff for pot.

From: [info]macgirvin
Fri, 21-Sep-2007 12:33 PM (UTC)

Re: Welcome to the police state

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...And at church on Sunday morning you'll meet a lot more babes and collect a lot more phone numbers than you will at the pub on Friday night. :-)