Saturday, February 10, 2007

Poland’s most moronic law of 2007


It’s still early but this could be a contender.

The mayor of Sopot, Jacek Karnowski (Civic Platform) has decided to slap a ban on selling alcohol from 11 O’Clock at night to 6 in the morning.

It’s a bad law because a) Sopot is Poland’s top seaside resort and people go on holiday and drink…lots! And b) it is a bad law because it will be broken regularly.

You expect this kind of thing from the British, but a Pole banning drinking? Is the mayor of Sopot limbering up for a career in Brussels, perhaps?

17 comments:

Chris Borowski said...

While I agree with the first part of the argument, the fact that it may be broken often does not make it a bad law. Speed limits are broken all the the time, but in at least some spots (city limits, etc) I'd have to say that it is a good law.

The bigger problem that you allude to is the Brussels-like "we know better what's good for you" Big Brother-ism. This is especially sad in this case because the Civic Platform, at least in some quarters, is seen as a having a liberal (in the European sense) approach to these kinds of things. It's bad law, ultimately, because it's up to individual citizens to decide when they want to stop drinking.

beatroot said...

It's bad law, ultimately, because it's up to individual citizens to decide when they want to stop drinking.

Bingo! But Chris, I am afraid that the old fashioned ‘liberalism’ – JS Mill, etc – is not very popular anymore with your typical European (and American) liberal. In fact the liberals (particularly in the EU version) are not too keen on letting individuals decide what is best for them. Current day liberals are as keen on controlling and social engineering individual behaviour as conservatives always have been.

The mess Uk has got over extending its restrictive drinking laws has been hilarious to behold. They nade the radical leap of making it legal to open pubs 24 hours recently – but have only granted about 600 licences since.

And when I was talking about a bad law one that people don’t keep to, I was trying to say that a law is bad when it is unenforceable. Which this one will be…

Chris Borowski said...

Yes, indeed. One would think that the smarter politicians would learn from past mistakes. Indeed, the late night prohibition was a mess in London that simply led people to binge drink when the clock nears the closing hour, making drinking even more dangerous. So we could see a similar approach here, along with the the old market driven approach: if I can't drink here, I'll just go somewhere else.

Stupid law for sure.

I thought the Platform left the current governing coalition to make the bad ones. Remember the proposed ban on sunday shopping. That went far...

beatroot said...

Ah, the Sunday shopping ban! This was led by types in the current coalition. Scared day…but also it was those BIG BAD NASTY FOREIGN SUPERMARLKETS which were to blame. It was those big bad supermarkets that were causing those nice little Polish shops to go out of business.

Now go to the UK – it’s the LIBERALS which are saying the same thing about supermarkets. Central European Conservatives and western liberals have a lot in common these days…

But they both still go to supermarkets on Sundays (after church/therapy sessions (delete as appropriate to conservative/liberals) of course.

Anonymous said...

'Sopot is Poland’s top seaside resort and people go on holiday and drink…lots!'

I live near Sopot and I have some relatives living in Sopot...

The problem is that those people who go on holiday to Sopot and drink a lots just make too much noise during the night. It is so irritating for citizens of Sopot ... because they just can't sleep at night!

That is a point of view of someone who is living there (not me directly but my relatives).
My opinion is that it is not a good law anyway. The truth is that Sopot earns fortune by turism. I think that the time will show wether it is law. If lack of money (for Sopot's citizens) is a result this law then ... you know it is going to be only 'paper law'.

Regards,
Maciek
sp2qbn

Anonymous said...

Should be:

I think that the time will show wether it is a good law. If lack of money (for Sopot's citizens) is a result of this law then ... you know it is going to be only 'paper law'.

sri for mistakes :)
I was hungry and ate a few letters.

Maciek
sp2qbn

Martin said...

Beatroot,

Forget the drinking laws.

That guy seriously needs a stylist.

Good grief, what sort of politician goes round with such an aburd haircut?

Do Polish conservatives all look like goddam hippies?

beatroot said...

I am reading the Guardian commentary of england Australia cricket...will England win something? probably not.

Yeah, the guy needs a stylist like the desert needs rain....the guy reminds me of a character that used to be in Eastenders...can't remember his name...but he was a simpleton too...

~JS said...

I think it's a law that reflects the concerns of the locals moreso than the binge-and-purge tourists...as it should...

at the new jersey shore in usa, there are dry towns because young people can't decide as responsible individuals when they should stop drinking...however, it doesn't stop the drinking...it reduces it though, and it's still a hot tourist spot in the region...

the community can take back its public safety if it chooses, through a political process, if shop owners feel the pinch they will participate as well...so too will tourist organizations...

Anonymous said...

Beatroot:

http://groovetown.co.uk/graphics/cast/paul-bradley/noises-off-large.jpg

It's quite close but the Brit has worse hair.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/25/200px-Paul_Bradley.jpg

Brad Zimmerman said...

I don't really have a problem with laws that concern the people's inability to regulate themselves. 11pm is plenty late to buy some booze. If a party has gone on long enough that all the alcohol is gone ...then everyone is probably plenty drunk and probably don't need to drink any more.

Proper planning aka stockpiling will solve the problem for those who have the cash and are sober enough to think three to four hours ahead.

That all being said it probably won't stop many problems which makes it a bit of a useless law which is then just a waste of taxpayer's money and that's crime we definitely need less of.

michael farris said...

Am I the only one that's getting a Sir Bernard Chumley vibe from this guy?

small pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/futurehead/new%20blog/bc3.jpg

Anonymous said...

Never mind the hair (it's scarcely any worse than Palikot's anyway). The ban is on off-licence sales. You will still be able to booze it up at night in the pubs. The authorities (and residents?) don't want people drinking on the street (which I though was illegal anyway. Hmmmm....)

Anonymous said...

^ That is interesting. Drinking on the streets is certainly illegal anyway. But pretty much every pub in Sopot has tables outside.

beatroot said...

Brad: 11pm is plenty late to buy some booze.

have you ever been to Barcelona? That's when they get ready to go out! 11 O'Clock and I am just warming up!

Brad Zimmerman said...

I think this law is as Molo said; in regard to "alkolhole" shops rather than pubs. Additionally, this is Poland, not Barcelona. I do my party shopping well before 9pm. :P

viagra online said...

haha this guy is crazy... from 11pm to 6pm... how many stores are open to selling alcohol at that time... just bars where for get in you need to be 20 years I guess it is...