People with white coats

Every year, my volunteer firefighter colleagues and I take part in the local santa parade. This isn't your big city affair, just a 20 minute cruise down our local main street. Fire engine lights and sirens, a wave to the kiddies, hand out a few lollies and go home. Everyone loves it, the guys get a bit of recognition and the kids get tooth decay. Been that way for years.

Of course, we all knew that throwing lollies is frowned upon. Mainly of course because there are some stupid kids who are greedy and feral and therefore unable to stop their own little fat legs propelling them under the fire truck in an effort to retrieve a lolly worth 0.00001 cents. So we don't do that. We walk up to the little darlings and place the lolly in their hands. Hazard identified, reasonable level of risk achieved. Job done.

Not this year (2009). This year, the hideously inept "organising committee", which,