If you've travelled much on London Transport over the last few weeks, you'll have seen the new Alpha Course poster pictured on the left.If you're anything like me, you'll have experienced an almost irresistible urge to fill in the survey by ticking the 'no' box. It appears that doing so might be a somewhat dangerous proposition.
There's a discussion over on the Bad Science forum about someone who took that obvious action and was arrested by the London Transport Police for criminal damage. Apparently six police officers were present at the arrest.
It all seems rather an overreaction to a piece of harmless vandalism.
I mean, the poster asks a question. How can they object if someone gives them an answer?
Looks like a clear-cut case of fair use. ;)
Disagree. There's no such as thing as "harmless vandalism". Just because you don't agree with the cause doesn't make defacing someone else's property right.
What isn't right is the overreaction from the police in sending six officers to arrest him. But it is criminal damage. He should have a laugh, have his moment, pay the £80 fine (which likely won't cover the cost of cleaning up after him) and admit it.
But no, he's intent on wasting more public time and money by having his day in court. His right, of course, but definitely time wasting.
It's a stupid poster, but it is vandalism. Can someone please arrest Banksy too, and get him to pay to clean up the mess he makes all over the place.
In the good old days of VME I used to type 'GOD' into the command line and hit the enter button. 'GOD DOES NOT EXIST' came the response - so it would seem that ICL Mainframes and davblog are in violent agreement on this.