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DUBIOUS SAFETY BANS
Compensation fears hit home as parts of the UK forget the
meaning of the phrase 'reasonably practicable'.
HANGING BASKETS
IT used to be known as a town in bloom. But you won't see any
hanging baskets in one Home Counties town, any more - the county
council banned them last month, arguing they could fall on a
pedestrian's head.
POPPY PINS
THE Royal British Legion sells 30 million poppies each Remembrance
Day. But since November 2003 there's been something missing:
the pin used to attach the
poppy. Branches had to tell members not to use them in case
people stabbed themselves.
GOGGLES
PARENTS at a Junior School were stunned when a local County
Council slapped a ban on swimming goggles. Officials said the
ruling was aimed at preventing elastic straps causing injury.
CHANGING BULBS
HOW many Eton pupils does it take to change a light bulb? None.
They're not allowed to, in case they injure themselves. They
have to get a maid to do it.
BACKSTROKE
SWIMMERS at a public pool, in Lancashire, were banned from doing
backstroke during busy periods in case they hit each other.
David Sparkes of the Amateur Swimming Association called it
"bureaucracy gone mad".
SWINGS & SLIDES
COUNCILLORS in one town removed some swings and slides from
play areas in 1999 - worried about childrens' eyes being damaged
in the sun on the swingsand backsides getting burned on the
hot metal of the slide.
SNOWBALLS
PUPILS at a Middle School in Norwich were told last year that
they could not throw snowballs at their classmates unless they
asked permission first. Officials were concerned about hurt
children taking legal action.
TEA FOR THE ELDERLY
Council bosses in the midlands slapped a ban on kind-hearted
wardens who make tea for Birmingham's elderly, citing health
and safety risks.
DONKEY RIDES
A GENTLE donkey ride used to be part of a seaside day out, but
in Bognor Regis the carefree days are over after the District
Council ordered hard hats to be worn in 2001.
BALLOONS
STAFF at the Welsh Assembly were told in 2002 not to decorate
their offices with balloons for the Christmas party for fear
of latex allergies.
POND DIPS
FOR more than 100 years, swimmers have enjoyed an early-morning
dip in the ponds at Hampstead Heath, North London. But the Corporation
of London said officials could face prosecution if it permits
unsupervised swimming and an accident occurs.
WASHING
SKIPTON housewives pegged out their washing in alleys behind
their homes. In May, after a complaint from a property developer,
North Yorkshire County Council banned them on safety grounds.
SANTA CABBIE
A cab driver, dressed up as Santa every Christmas in Llanelli,
West Wales. But last December officials said he didn't look
like his identity badge. His false white beard was banned. |
