Police Climb Stilts And Clown About To Keep The Peace
ONE day on from “Long leg of the law: Police unveil stilt-walkers as latest weapon in crackdown on binge drinking” the Express tells us: “Police taught how to climb 3ft ladder”.
The earlier story detailed how police in Newcastle-under-Lyme were working with circus performers “to keep spirits up as pubs and clubs spilled out on Friday night”.
But here’s the rub: how to you spot the difference between a copper and a circus performer. Discuss.
Better if the police do their own acrobatics and tricks, hence the ensuing story on the 3ft ladder, and the climbing thereof.
“Anyone qualified to climb a ladder has been told to wear high-visibility jackets and leggings and cone off the area when installing signs in bad weather – in case pedestrians bump into the step ladders”, ergo, PC Smyths’ telescopic legs.
This has been problem long coming, ever since the height restrictions imposed on police recruits were relaxed from the 5ft 10in minimum (men) and 5ft 4 inc (women) to include those of lesser heights, such as Pygmies and dwarves.
Say Lancashire police:
“…the risk associated with working at a height were not fully appreciated initially.”
Coppers are of course especially prone to injury. Readings from the protest at the Kingsnorth climate camp told us:
…injuries reported included “stung on finger by possible wasp”; “officer injured sitting in car”; and “officer succumbed to sun and heat”. One officer cut his arm on a fence when climbing over it, another cut his finger while mending a car, and one “used leg to open door and next day had pain in lower back”.
Note the using of the “leg”, which was unlikely to have been the officer’s own limb, rather a four foot long wooden one, possibly once attached to a climate pirate and a wearing a pink flip flop…
Posted: 23rd, December 2008 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comments (4) | TrackBack | Permalink
