It is significant that the can is covered by a paper bag. “Controlled drinking zones” have been introduced in parts of the London Borough of Ealing to discourage the abuse of alcohol where it has caused problems, allowing the police to confiscate cans and bottles if they come across someone drinking openly within these areas. Of course these measures only work if they are applied and the police are often overstretched as it is. A group of street drinkers can seem more threatening that they really are but I can understand why residents want these measures put in place. The aftermath of a drinking session is often messy, with cigarette ends, cans and bottles strewn around, and fights sometimes break out which means the police have to attend anyway, along with a long-suffering ambulance crew.
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Symbolic!
Lots more of them than there used to be unfortunately. I’m more worried about bottles being left behind than cans because they’re potential weapons. Street drinkers can be surprisingly tidy, they often put all the empty stuff back into the carrier bags they came in and leave them by bins!