Some years ago in the cotswolds in England, an old lady had a nasty fall. She blamed the flowers that had been planted at intervals on the sidewalk in the picturesque village.
What did the local council do? Promptly removed all flower beds from all sidewalks. It's clearly more important to cater to people who are unable to look where they are going than have the village with a little color.
Then there's the LEO sho just the other day reduced a 5 year old girl to tears for riding her bike on the pavement, and as she dismounted and moved on (with her father) shouted after them "and you'd better not put her back on it down the road or I'll fine you!" at the father.
He was completely out of line and wrong in the eyes of the law, and had to apologise to the family (who rejected the apology, insisting that it should be directed at their 5 year old daughter, damn right too), because as a 5 year old, she is not subject to the law and has every right to ride her bicycle on the pavement when accompanied by an adult. Its just symbolic of the attitude (not of LEOs in general, of the UK in general).
Total bollocks nanny state, and its not even like we have good weather or beautiful women to make up for it. Come to Greece for those as well as a realistic level of civil freedom.
