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Ban on alcohol on Scotrail between 9PM and 10AM

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michael769

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18549048.

ScotRail outlines train drink ban

Alcohol is being banned from Scottish trains in the evenings and mornings, following concerns about drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

ScotRail has decided to prohibit the carrying and consumption of alcohol on its services between 21:00 and 10:00, starting on 20 July.

The move was welcomed by police and the government.

Drunk people would be banned from travelling on trains under the crackdown.

Transport police have dealt with at least 260 drink-related incidents in the last six months, while an increasing number of trains have also been delayed, because of anti-social behaviour.

The overnight Caledonian Sleeper train to and from London is exempt from the ban.

ScotRail managing director Steve Montgomery, said: "Anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol has no place on our trains or at stations... (read more)
Yeah and how is it going to be enforced?
 
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ole man

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The Conductor will treat it same as not having a ticket
Will be fun seeing how many trains in Scotland will be delayed due to passengers refusing to give up there drinking.
 

SS4

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Those hours are kind of long really. 9pm isn't all that late these days and 10am seems excessively late. Why not do 2230-0559? Then again perhaps I'm underestimating Scottish drinkers.

I hope this ban fails miserably though so England think twice before introducing it.
 

Squaddie

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9pm does seem a little early, perhaps, but there is no reason why anyone would want an alcoholic drink on a train before 10am and I hope this initiative is successful. There are few things worse on a train journey than sharing a carriage with heavy drinkers.
 

Michael.Y

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Those hours are kind of long really. 9pm isn't all that late these days and 10am seems excessively late. Why not do 2230-0559? Then again perhaps I'm underestimating Scottish drinkers.

I hope this ban fails miserably though so England think twice before introducing it.

What are your drinking habits like if you think starting boozing at 10am is too late?

Alcohol is already banned on certain services, especially on the Valley Lines in Wales and, erm, oh yeah, the Tube.
 

HSTEd

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Won't this cause problems on the Sleeper with people having a dram of whiskey before turning in?

Or will it not count while the sleeper is in England?
 

Michael.Y

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Won't this cause problems on the Sleeper with people having a dram of whiskey before turning in?

Or will it not count while the sleeper is in England?

From the article: "The overnight Caledonian Sleeper train to and from London is exempt from the ban."

The one bit that worries me is "carrying" - what about people taking shopping home from work?
 

MidnightFlyer

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but there is no reason why anyone would want an alcoholic drink on a train before 10am and I hope this initiative is successful.

What if you've just finished a night shift and want to enjoy a drink before you get home?

Alcohol is already banned on certain services, especially on the Valley Lines in Wales and, erm, oh yeah, the Tube.

I believe it is banned on all TfL services - the Tube, buses, Tramlink and Overground etc.
 

SS4

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What are your drinking habits like if you think starting boozing at 10am is too late?

Alcohol is already banned on certain services, especially on the Valley Lines in Wales and, erm, oh yeah, the Tube.

I meant that 10am is too late for the curfew to end and surely few people drink in the mornings anyway. Ending the curfew with the last services of the night or 6am would at least allow a night shift worker to drink after work.

Can't see it being enforced though.
 

Michael.Y

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I meant that 10am is too late for the curfew to end and surely few people drink in the mornings anyway. Ending the curfew with the last services of the night or 6am would at least allow a night shift worker to drink after work.

Can't see it being enforced though.

It'll just be like smoking... hiding a tinny in your coat and slinking off to the toilet when the guard is at the other end of the train.

Unless there's a Big Man around.... (apologies)
 

Greenback

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Enforecement is clearly going to be the major problem. I don;t know what it is like in Scotland for ticket checking, but if many trains in the south east don't have ticket checks due to concerns over staff safety, is a lone guard going to be expected to confront a group of drinkers and tell them that they have to give up their alcohol?

I think the only way that this can work is if there are police officers at major station who refuse to allow drinks on baord the train.
 

Clip

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9pm does seem a little early, perhaps, but there is no reason why anyone would want an alcoholic drink on a train before 10am.

Oh, so im not allowed a drink on the way home from a night shift but you are at the end of your working day. Thats a bit of a two tier system you want to operate there.

If its good enough for you after work its good enough for me.
 

dk1

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I once got the heavy treatment from the guard on a NIR service from Lisbon to Belfast for openly drinking 2 cans recently bought from a nearby offy to get us through the journey. Turned out to be The Orange March & a huge rally in Bangor. We had no idea & gave profuse appolgies. She realised we where genuine (& English :roll:) & said that as the train wasn't busy we could continue but to be discreet. Nice lady.
 

Clip

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I once got the heavy treatment from the guard on a NIR service from Lisbon to Belfast for openly drinking 2 cans recently bought from a nearby offy to get us through the journey. Turned out to be The Orange March & a huge rally in Bangor. We had no idea & gave profuse appolgies. She realised we where genuine (& English :roll:) & said that as the train wasn't busy we could continue but to be discreet. Nice lady.

I had me beer taken off me on teh Melbourne to Sydney train - made me buy it from their buffet car!! The cheek
 

sheff1

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I once got the heavy treatment from the guard on a NIR service from Lisbon to Belfast for openly drinking 2 cans recently bought from a nearby offy to get us through the journey.

That's one hell of a journey, no wonder you needed a drink :)
 

wintonian

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"Last orders" will apply on train catering trolleys, with drink not sold from 20:30 onwards, while customers will be asked to finish any alcoholic drinks by 21:00.

(my bold)

Yeh right, I can see that happening, catering staff and guards acting as pub bouncers and putting themselves at risk - it's just not going to happen.
 

neilmc

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I can foresee a mad scramble on the London-Glasgow trains, as cans of Tennent's are quaffed by the dozen between Oxenholme and Carlisle - unless the ban doesn't apply to cross-border trains?
 

wintonian

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I can foresee a mad scramble on the London-Glasgow trains, as cans of Tennent's are quaffed by the dozen between Oxenholme and Carlisle - unless the ban doesn't apply to cross-border trains?

Maybe you get 30 mins after crossing to dispose of it.
 

PaxVobiscum

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ScotRail outlines train drink ban
I can foresee a mad scramble on the London-Glasgow trains, as cans of Tennent's are quaffed by the dozen between Oxenholme and Carlisle - unless the ban doesn't apply to cross-border trains?
The only ScotRail trains going from London to Glasgow are the Sleepers and they are exempt as has been pointed out earlier.

Might get a bit of that from Newcastle though. :D
 

142094

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This is obviousy going to be totally unenforceable, unless they plan on having BTP on every train. Even then, people will still continue, I've been on quite a few football specials which were supposed to be 'dry' but were far from it. Railway staff will be unlikely to try and stop someone as at best they'll get a torrent of abuse, and at worst someone will be attacked.

Even then there is nothing stopping people hiding it in a bag or putting it in a bottle of Coke and all the other tricks that are out there.
 

Failed Unit

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They still don't get it, it is the people that are already ****ed that is the problem. You don't see many people drinking on the 2330, but the abuse levels can still be high because the job was done by the local pub before hand.
 

ole man

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Maybe the answer is to have the services like the air industry, you cannot board a plane if you are drunk.
 

Michael.Y

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Maybe the answer is to have the services like the air industry, you cannot board a plane if you are drunk.

In a controlled environment of the airport, easy. In the wild west of a request stop somewhere in the Heelun's - good luck I say!
 
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