MONTREAL
— Anyone who has ridden an escalator and bothered to pay attention has seen –
and likely ignored – little signs suggesting riders hold the grimy handrail.
In Montreal's subway system, the friendly advice seems to have
taken on the force of law, backed by a $100 fine.
Bela Kosoian, a 38-year-old mother of two, says when she didn't hold the handrail Wednesday she was cuffed, dragged into a small holding cell and fined.
Why are adults being treated this way? One would assume adults are capable of making decisions on their own, even if the decisions are worthy of the Darwin Awards. Must someone be holding a grown man or woman's hand at all times? Will there be warnings and consequences for everything? Perhaps a warning on a box of grenades: AIM AWAY FROM FACE.
Children can walk around unattended. No one can enforce a helmet law on a Sikh male. One can only imagine telling a pregnant woman not to smoke, drink or inhale glue fumes. But if you don't hold onto a hand-rail, you're in for it!
Isn't it time to tell the nanny state to cut the cord?
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