Re: OT: UK Health Care Reform - Safer Pub Glasses?!!!

On 2/5/10 1:11 PM, Ward Hardman wrote:
Associated Press (byline: Gregory Katz)

"LONDON - Britons will soon be able to get smashed at the pub
while their pint glasses won't.

"The shatterproof pint glass was proudly unveiled by the
government yesterday. Officials said the country would save
billions in health care costs by coming up with a glass that
doesn't double as a lethal weapon.

"But noticeably, no officials were talking about reforming the
British binge-drinking culture at the root of the problem.

"There are about 87,000 alcohol-related glass attacks each
year, with many resulting in hospital visits, Home Secretary
Alan Johnson said as he introduced the two prototype
shatterproof pint glasses."
...
"Half of all violent assaults in Britain are alcohol-related,
and it has become common for drinkers to smash glasses and
use them as weapons ... ."
...
"The government estimates that 'glassing' attacks cost the
National Health Service roughly $4.3 billion a year."
...
"Home Office designers worked with Britain's Design
council to come up with the prototypes. Plastic glasses
weren't an option because drinkers dislike them ... ."

Now ain't that a bloody shame!!! The British government has to come
up with fancy designs like two-layer
glass-resin-glass "sandwich" glasses (like auto windshields) just
because the drunks "dislike" plastic! Can't they tell that they are
dealing with infantile minds? Give those drunks nice bouncy Teflon
glasses and even throwing them won't hurt anyone. To paraphrase the
old saying, "Buggers can't be choosers!"

However, if automotive precedents are being considered and they *must*
have glass, why not forget the windshield
and consider the side windows: use tempered glass that breaks up into
minuscule "gravel" when shattered. A drunk with a handful of tiny
glass chunks is more comical than dangerous.


Said Matty to Paddy, "Gorblimey!
Was that a pint glass just flew by me???
Those mis'rable chunks!
No danger to drunks ...
I'm deeply ashamed to be Limey!!!"


--Ward Hardman ;-)

"The older I get, the more I admire and crave competence,
just simple competence, in any field from adultery to zoology."
- H.L. Mencken

The Nanny State triumphant!

Bob Harper
.

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