Bagpipe Player Arrested For Playing ‘Distressing’ Music
GAWD bless the police, as Old Mr Anorak is wont to say ever since he heard that bagpipe-playing Shaun Cartwright has been detained for a breach of the peace.
There is a reason why the military plays bagpipes – to instil in the men a desire for bloody battle and to make them realise that there is nothing less to fear.
As reporters, Mr Cartwright’s bagpipes have been seized. But he was later released and told it was not in the public interest to press charges.
As the Scots Daily Record puts it:
Exclusive: Busker arrested and has bagpipes confiscated by English police for ‘causing distress’
To Bridport, Dorset, England. Says Mr Cartwright:
“I’d been playing for almost an hour outside Superdrug on the main street and had made about 50 pounds, so it clearly wasn’t causing that much offence. But a shopkeeper called the police and two officers turned up saying they had a complaint and they had to respond to it.
“They asked me to move on but I wanted to finish my hour of playing and put the blow stick to my mouth and that was it.”
Yes, the blow stick. Bag. Pipes. Blow stick. This is a simple instrument to play, and an even simpler instrument to play badly. Says the now free man:
“People are prejudice against the bagpipes. People may not like the sound of them but that doesn’t give them the right to get the police to come along and hassle you.”
Indeed, if you want to stand in the street giving full throat to your bagpipes, blasting it out as shoppers mill about, then how dare anyone try to stop you?
Teething babies can scream their heads of in public, mating cats can screech and teachers drag their nails own blackboards.
Bag pipe players must play. Equal rights for bagpipe players. It’s only fair.
Inspector Alan Jenkins adds:
“He was given strong words of advice because of the distress he had caused shopkeepers and passersby.”
And he’s within his right to say so.
Posted: 22nd, December 2008 | In: Strange But True Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
