Tuesday 1 December 2015

Stretched Police Resources #1

From the Guardian

Transport for London and British Transport police have urged commuters to come forward if they have received so-called fat-shaming postcards on the tube.

Images of the leaflet, claiming to be from a group called Overweight Haters Ltd, have now been shared thousands of times on social media, with many speculating it could be a poorly judged publicity stunt.

British Transport police (BTP) said they were investigating reports of cards being handed out but could not elaborate as to whether victims had complained directly.

It's not very nice, but what's the crime? Upsetting fat people?

Note: The "Stretched Police Resources" is for any news story involving the police where no crime, or something hardly warranting a crime, was committed.

6 comments:

JuliaM said...

I suspect it'll fall under a public order offence. That seems to be their catch-all.

Penseivat said...

Can't wait until one of these cretins gives a card to a 22 stone rugby player. I hope BTP carry a large supply of blotting paper.

Mark Wadsworth said...

If I were a bit braver, then I'd happily hand out cards like that.

Lola said...

MW. It's the same as the white feather thing in WW1. Someone may look OK for military service but you cannot know why he / she isn't in uniform. Maybe he/she is a spy? Or suffering shell shock?

I have a mate who has a genuine glandular issue that makes him very obese. He's ill, not a glutton.

It also works the other way. When a yoof, due to medical issues, I was seriously skinny and got an awful lot of stick for being so. (As it happens it didn't worry me). But now, still being reasonably skinny I am having the last laugh...

So I do not agree with these sanctimonious fat fascists. Mind you I do agree that airlines should charge double if a fatty takes up two seats...

Tim Almond said...

JuliaM,
Yes. They'll find something to nick them under. What it needs is someone to tell the police they'll contest it in court, then the CPS will drop it.

pen,
I think they're probably brighter than that

Mark,
I don't quite understand how people on the tube are fat. When I've done the odd few weeks going to London I notice the effect of all that walking to stations, on/off platforms. It's like fat nurses. How can you be a nurse, walking around, seeing patients all day and be fat? A mate of mine moved to a job fixing trains and gave up his gym membership because he was getting loads of exercise. He got a pedometer and worked out he as walking 5 miles a day.

Lola,
I agree. We have a friend who has the same.

But this movement aren't exactly fat fascists. The "shitlord" thing is a reaction to political correctness about things like being fat. The people involved probably are dicks, but I doubt this would be a thing if there wasn't a media out there telling women (and really, only women) that they're fat and beautiful. I mean, I don't mind if people want to be fat, but I've been in situations where people have commented how some fat woman looks really good after the stylists have been at her, and no, she doesn't. You can set Gok Wan on Dawn French and put Taylor Swift in a cloth sack and Taylor Swift will get 99% of the blokes. Or you have some obese woman talking about Rubens, as if Rubens painted any woman who would be beyond a size 14 today.

I'm a fat bloke. A health scare means I've changed my diet quite dramatically and I'm losing weight, but before then, I never denied I was fat.

Graeme said...

I think if Britain loses its reputation for being polite then we might as well shut up shop. Why hand out a card to a woman? Either be honest and say it to her face or just accept that you are a coward.

And I bet the guy was both overweight and had a pretence of a beard. he is the guy who needs to be shamed. It is just guilt transference.