Trams and the monopoly of violence

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Trams and the monopoly of violence

After foolishly not stamping my ticket upon boarding a tram a few nights ago (whether that was due to forgetfulness or my innate stingyness, I will leave open), I came to the attention of the roaving conductors.

At this point it should be explained that, unlike everywhere else I have been in the world, these conductors are not personable government employees; instead being extremely large private security contractors, from whom any sort compassion or pliability has been excised by a combination of illicit horse hormones and right-wing political views (although the former could just be me unfairly tarring all oversized skinheads in black bomber jackets with the same brush).

Those that I was with tried to talk my way out of the situation for me, but to no avail. Indeed, their explanation that I was from the UK and had only just arrived in the town merely lead to the guard asking to see my passport. Obviously I didn't have this on me - I have other forms of identification in my wallet, and so would never carry my passport on the off chance that I would have to prove my age or somesuch. Rather unexpectedly, the guard then began saying that he would have to call the police as it was illegal for me, as a foreigner, to be outside without my passport (by this time all four of the guards had gathered around to join in the fun, giving the impression of some sort of Kristallnacht barbershop quartet).

Handing over the €40 fine was, thankfully, sufficient to placate them, and we carried on to our destination, somewhat poorer, but with a valuable fund of things to moan about. The experience got me thinking, however, as it provided me with a direct experience (although admittedly a very minor one) of two, interelated, considerations that have excised me from a previously purely conceptual standpoint.

The main point is fairly obvious, and is as follows: The situation where one should be required to produce a particular item of identification upon request, and with apparently no real reason, with the threat of arrest should one not, cannot, in my opinion, be justified in a free society.

The second point is related to the first: The boundaries of the state should be sharply delineated, with its power being retained entirely within this strict demarcation.

Finally, discrimination between people based solely upon membership of some group is, with a few specific exceptions, wrong, and should not be government policy in any free society.

Obviously all three of these points need to be expanded upon and clarified for them to come close to being a defensible position, and I may try to do this in the future (especially the second point - which is something that I have considered in the past in relation to the use of private 'security' companies in Iraq etc). For the moment I am now the proud owner of a student card that entitles me to free transport, and so will be chalking the whole thing down to experience. Until the next time I'm asked for ID that is.