On 2007-10-07 13:09:35 +0100, Stuart Noble
said:

clot wrote:
Owain wrote:
clot wrote:
Sadly, too true. I have been involved in organising the local May Day
Carnival for the passed twenty years with proceeds going to local
charities. What we have gone through in the last couple of years in
terms of various risk assessments, safety certificates, public
liability insurances is almost beyond credibility. I suspect that
it's been a rouse of Blur's to keep the unemployment figures down by
added local govt. job's worths - who in this instance, don't seem to
have a clue about the real world, but have to do something!

The Army are rebuilding a bridge near me as a training exercise, but
they're not allowed to sleep in the local community centre because of
elfin safety. I know it's a bit of a rough area, but they're headed
off to Afghanistan soon...

Spot on. It's just not credible how stupid we are.We desperately
Douglas Adams to take these loonies to a better life for them!

Why are us Brits so law abiding? Just do what the Europeans do, pass
the laws and obey them if you feel like it. Ever seen a Greek wearing a
crash helmet?

First point is that we are (geographically at least) in Europe - it
isn't somewhere else.

The second point is that it isn't true to say that the British are more
law abiding in a blanket way than in other European countries. I've
spent a lot of time in many of them and talked to a lot of people about
just these issues.

One difference that does separate the UK from most other countries is
that the legal system here is based mainly on precedent and case law,
whereas in most other places it's codified (e.g. based on Napoleonic
Code). However, this has extended into many parts of Europe, both
north and south.

THe far more significant issue is a cultural one as you hinted, and
that does seem to be a north/south, germanic language/latin language
one. Thus if you speak with people from the Nordic countries or
Germany, they do feel more comfortable with clear cut laws. Even so,
there are variations. For example (and these are generalisations)
Norwegians tend to be quite independently minded and so consider
respect for the individual to be important, whereas Finns tend to
value humility as an important trait.

French, Italian and Spanish people have all said to me on different
occasions that in many aspects they view the law as something to be
applied when something bad happens. Again this is a stereotype but
does give some explanation of why there is an apparent disregard for
the law. There's plenty of it, but enforcement isn't there until
there's a problem.

Going further afield, there is much more apparent lawlessness (or
perhaps apparent lack of lawful behaviour) in former Eastern Europe.
For example, the standard of driving and road behaviour in places like
Warsaw and Moscow is appalling - makes Milan seem like a Sunday
afternoon outing.

So I think there is a perception factor as well as reality.

Where we do unnecessarily shoot ourselves in the foot is in placing of
EU Directives into local law. I've looked at quite a few of these
over the years and compared UK implementations with those of other
countries. In basis, they are the same. However, in most other
countries, the detail is left out. In the UK we tend to either take
them pretty much verbatim or even worse gold plate them. We have only
ourselves to blame for that.