A reminder of what it’s like to live in a statist state *UPDATED*

England has become the ultimate Nanny state, and it’s a reminder of what’s to come if the Democrats get total control over American government.  The latest insane Nanny state story out of Britain is from a public pool that is refusing to allow a man to wear his goggles:

He’s been swimming all around the world and never caused a ripple of concern.

But Roland Grimm hadn’t reckoned on the goggle police at his local pool.

His special mask stops water going up his nose and has a single eye piece which does not press against his face.

But now, almost inevitably, it has fallen foul of the ‘elf and safety enforcers.

Their ban on his mask has left Mr Grimm, who has been swimming at the leisure centre in Swiss Cottage, North London, for 30 years, high and dry.

He said: ‘I’ve used these goggles in more than 100 different pools in countries including Germany, Spain, France and Portugal and no one else has ever complained or questioned why I am using them.

‘I’m not allowed to wear them here because they cover my nose. They just don’t seem to like the shape of the frame.

‘I’m very upset because it seems mad. I like to swim every day and this is messing up my whole life.’

But pool bosses defended their decision to eject Mr Grimm – declaring his goggles were not shatterproof and breached industry guidelines.

Centre manager Gary Dark said: ‘Non-shatterproof panels in enclosed environments can cause facial injury on impact with pool surfaces or other bathers and may pose a further hazard in relation to broken glass remaining on the pool floor.

‘Full face masks that cover the nose can also cause breathing difficulties if water is swallowed and may restrict vision which can cause an accident.’

Mr. Grimm is in his late 60s, and has been wearing these (for him) comfortable goggles for decades.  His opinion as an individual doesn’t count, though.  Gary Dark (isn’t that an appropriate name for someone clamping down on freedom?) knows what’s best for him.  Dark is the Nanny state personified.

This just depresses me.

UPDATE:  At the Times Online, someone posted this comment:  “What this article doesn’t mention is that this guy was repeatedly lying on the bottom the pool staring at female swimmers above him. The health and safety issue of ‘non-shatter proof glass’ was just an excuse!”  The author of that unsourced comment gives his location as Thailand, which makes one wonder how he knows this “fact,” but, if it’s true, it certainly puts a different slant on the story.

Interesting, those who comment at the Times say that the glass goggles are a danger, since broken glass in a pool causes a risk to all swimmers.  In the Daily Mail article to which I originally cited, though, Mr. Grimm says the lenses are plastic.  There might be more here than meets the eye.