Speaking as someone born in England who made Scotland my home 20 years ago, it is interesting to see the views on Scottish politics communicated via those who have been informed on it via a London centric media (mainly with a significant political slant of their own) rather than those who live here. Certainly “Scottish issues”, and it is of course the role of politicians to raise the concerns of citizens in the place which they live (which one could argue has provided the final catalyst for change in Belfast in recent days), have been of significant prominence in UK politics in the recent decade or so, and it is interesting that people feel more comfortable with it being run once more (as it was for decades) as a quieter subsidiary of a London run party. The phrase “back in your box” springs to mind.
Anyway, all this is some way from the topic of Alcohol on Scottish trains. Largely I’d agree on it being unenforceable, with the problem being multi level. BTP have been cut to the point they essentially don’t exist in any meaningful way. Policing of stations is, putting it politely, rather non visible. Station staff feel unsafe when met with a large group of intoxicated passengers, so “turn a blind eye”, knowing they’ll receive no support when they seek it. On board staff are left wondering how said groups ever got near a platform, and they are also likely to “turn a blind eye”. The result is the passenger is often left in incredibly unpleasant, dangerous situation, with Football being a particular catalyst for antisocial alcohol related behaviour.
Whilst I’m sure all forum users are most responsible drinkers, the fact remains Scotland has a particular problem with alcohol, with a dramatically higher figure for Alcohol related deaths than the rest of the UK, and it is difficult to express a policy which allows RailUK Drinker 001 and their partner to enjoy a nice glass of wine on the 1713 from Kyle of Lochalsh, whilst stopping the discarded bottles of Buckfast (for those unfamiliar, a tonic wine specifically popular in the West of Scotland and frequently associated with crime) piling up on the football trains in the central belt.
The most significant point however is the point made above by the now First Minister Humza Yousaf that future consultation should refer particularly to the views of women and girls. Those are not groups I fall into, but I must be honest, I am personally scared and discouraged from using subway and rail services at times based on the football games that are happening and the vast levels of antisocial behaviour which go with them. I actively take other means of transport / walk / take the car at specific points of the day as a result. The PIS displays on the subway specifically warn people of when the football crowds will be on - and I’ve seen more than a handful of other passengers either roll their eyes at such information, or make a note in their phone in response, presumably a reminder to take similar avoiding action.
I’ll never forget a journey I took a few years back with a woman and her young child, strangers to me, but who happened to board a subway train at the same place and get off at the same place as me, and were unsuspecting passengers on a football train. We boarded an entirely empty train, and on it in the city centre were then intentionally crush loaded hundreds of, and I use this term loosely, men, who were in various states of being able to stand up. Through the remainder of our journey they shouted, screamed and punched the inside of the train, drinking a variety of alcohol whilst rhythmically hitting any object they could whilst singing a song about how they would (insert reference to the most extreme sexual violence) Nicola Sturgeon. Amongst other references to the Pope and other similar sectarian chants which are sadly all too familiar to people in this part of the country. There were a number of young children, with them, also in football shirts, witnessing all this. The woman and her child looked entirely frozen, as indeed was I. At our stop we managed to fight our way out to get to the platform, and made our way out in stunned silence.
Finally at the top of the escalators she spoke softly …. “Disgusting, isn’t it ?”
So by all means, come up with a plan that is enforceable and works. But please be careful that the messaging is not, “drinking on trains (to excess) is now ok again.” Because for many people going about their daily lives, who just want to get from A to B in some level of comfort and security, the impact of Alcohol related behaviour on Society and specifically on transport is indeed, utterly, utterly disgusting.
