I’ve just been and had lunch in town (Rotorua). I was going to sit on the public seating outside the restaurant while waiting for my wife to arrive but the ground near the seating was absolutely covered in spit. Hundreds of hoiks. Disgusting.
I’m going to suggest to the Council that they fine people for spitting on public property (unless someone (a libertarian perhaps?) convinces me that it’s wrong to fine people for spitting on public property).
Managing this type of behaviour is justified by property ownership.
So you then are going to have to have another battalion of council workers… ‘spit police’ walking the beat…. being paid for by the ratepayers…. and yet there will still be spit… and bird poop on the benches.
And to what extreme level of ‘punishment’ are you prepared to go to stamp out this ‘Crime’?
Is not the bench just as much the ‘spitters’ property as the ‘sitters’?
etc etc etc .
There’s no need for any more Council employees – there are already plenty of Council workers wandering around town – there are Parking Wardens and some other uniformed employees whose job I haven’t figured out.
Council could give Parking Wardens the ability to fine spitters. This wouldn’t cost the ratepayers anything (as long as the fine is high enough to cover collection/cleaning costs).
To be just any punishment must be proportionate to the harm caused – so being made to clean the streets for a few hours is the most extreme I could justify.
Even more so… the spitters, if they cover the property in hoiks, can have exclusive use of it.
There’s nothing wrong with managing jointly owned property and establishing rules to punish those that damage it – this is being a good steward and being just.
Spit doesn’t ‘ruin’/ damage property.
So you are going to give ticket wardens the power to demand ID from people, and fine them without due process… or are you happy for the courts to be clogged up with ‘spitters’ ?
Instead of resorting to political violence, Why not instead start a personal Moral crusade to irradiate this disgusting habit…. because that’s all it is…. not a crime.
Start a movement which convinces the Plebs that Spitting in public is gross….
Or dont you really think the issue is important enough to warrant your time and effort?
‘It’s easier’ to get a Socialist Prohibition imposed…. even if it doesn’t work… you would no doubt take satisfaction seeing some teens whipped…..
Spit makes property unclean – it’s not unjust to hold them accountable for cleaning plus a proportionate penalty. The same principle would apply to littering or graffiti or any other damage.
Think of it like issuing parking tickets (which are also justified by property ownership). Courts would not be clogged up with spitters just as they are not clogged up with parking infringements.
Re demanding ID – the use of force is not justified but Wardens could easily take photos and ask the spitter for their name and address. Giving false details would justify a greater penalty.
Yes. Discipline is good for people when it is justified. Just punishment teaches people to respect others. Although I’d save the whippings as punishment for assaults.