Abuse of public space is on the rise

For a long time we've been seeing the gradual demise of genuine public spaces that goes with the rise of the 'me' mentality.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Apr 2016, 07:08 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

You go into the street and someone on a mobile phone passes by yelling obscenities; you go to a pub restaurant and there’s a group of people foul mouthing at a waiter. So you look at Twitter and someone is off loading every swear word they know on to the social media site – all because these are public spaces and they are ‘the public’.

They are in fact individuals usurping public spaces for themselves. It isn’t ‘free speech’ because free speech is not the same as a lack of basic social intelligence and respect for the rights and wellbeing of others. Free speech has its own in-built responsibility.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Something of this has spread to the equally public space of advertising. Last year bus shelters carried a large advert of a girl in lacy underwear with her fingers on her ... er ... anatomy. Just recently, huge billboards advertising cheap clothing used thick, foot-high letters which represent an obscene phrase. These are unpleasant calculated assaults on public advertising space for the financial gain of certain parties. They degrade everyday life, influence the young and set a worrying precedent for the future, and no-one seems willing to take any responsibility.

In fact, councils are not generally aware of what goes on in public advertising, let alone having a say in it. So it’s left to the public to try complaining to Trading Standards and The Advertising Standards Authority – if they get round to it. This obviously isn’t a completely satisfactory state

of affairs. Is anyone any-where likely to take some responsibility over what gets put up on large adverts?

Jacqueline Deeks

Wendy Ridge

Rustington

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.worthingherald.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Worthing.news

3) Follow us on Twitter @Worthing_Herald

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Worthing Herald - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics:TwitterFacebook