The force have admitted providing the hot beverages and snacks between May and July at the Hog’s Back Cafe, a well known pick up point for gay sex between Guildford and Farnham.
Surrey has always been something of a hotbed for outdoor sex, with internet sites dedicated to finding both people and places to engage in the activity, which is only illegal if witnessed by a member of the public who takes umbrage.
Fears Epsom Downs was being taken over by doggers and cruisers were raised a few years ago, with police patrols used to address the problem in the short term.
One of the favoured locations was just yards from Epsom racecourse’s Queen’s Stand, where Her Majesty enjoys Derby Day in June each year.
A spokesman said neighbourhood officers, the lesbian and gay liaison officer and someone from the NHS had spoken to people with the aim of building trust and getting them to report hate crime.
19 comments:
Well serving tea and biscuits sounds a lot better than just cutting ll the woods in the environment as they did in that earlier topic we saw here....
<span>Could someone who is a native English speaker please clarify something for me.
The story says the police "...admitted providing the hot beverages..." Now, I've always thought 'to admit doing something' implies one has done something wrong and one knows it. This idea fits poorly on this article, however. Have I been mistaken and admitting doing something really does not include any hints of regret or shame, after all? In that case I have to do some rewiring in my brain.</span>
I admit that I also am not a native English speaker. Am I now saying I've done something wrong while knowing that?
...Perhaps they admitted to that because they really did not want to get publicity, but their hand was forced?
<span>"I admit that I also am not a native English speaker. Am I now saying I've done something wrong while knowing that?"</span>
Nothing wrong, but perhaps there's some regret in this context in that statement?
<span>"...Perhaps they admitted to that because they really did not want to get publicity, but their hand was forced?"</span>
Yes, they could be reluctant to tell about it even if they themselves thought they didn't do anything wrong. But maybe they are reluctant because they expect others to think they did.
Anyway, if I admit doing something, does that imply I would rather not tell you about it and possibly that I think that what I've done was somehow wrong? Or can I admit doing something entirely positive and good that nobody reasonable would object? Like, I admit I helped a granny cross the street. Is it really correct/normal to use the word in that context?
The more I think about this the more confused I get. :'(
Perhaps handing out tea, biccies and condoms would be a better bet.
"I admit I helped a granny cross the street. Is it really correct/normal to use the word in that context?"
-Well- If you helped her but she really didn't want to cross that street or you think you would look like a scout-fairy to your friends.....
I see what you mean.
And I think you just gave the answer yourself- "Yes, they could be reluctant to tell about it even if they themselves thought they didn't do anything wrong. But maybe they are reluctant because they expect others to think they did."
But does admitting doing something always have to imply you regret saying it in some way? That's my whole point. I've always thought it did (without actually really thinking about it), but now this article (and the thought process it started and this conversation of ours) has made me doubt it. According to an online dictionary 'acknowledge' and 'admit' are synonyms, but in my mind they are not exactly the same. I'd just like to know if I'm wrong.
<span>Insolitus & Foreigner1: I am a native speaker of English, and my intuitions about "admit" are the same as yours. If I admit to doing something, it's a confession of some kind of shortcoming on my part, or at least of something I figure you, the listener, might perceive as a shortcoming. For me, "admit" and "confess" are synonyms; "acknowledge" is a bit different. But I"m a Canadian, and this article is from the UK; maybe the usage differs over there?</span>
On further reflection, I think there's kind of a continuum of regret associated with "confess" (the most regret), "admit" (a little less), and "acknowledge" (just a whiff).
I confess my crimes, admit my mistakes, and acknowledge that there's room for improvement.
I think.
Thank you, cath! You summed that up beautifully. Now that I know I had it right all along, I'm wondering why it all felt so confusing in the first place. Maybe it's because I've always learned and used English more with my gut feeling than by thinking and trying to remember the rules. Trying to explain something that is intuitive is hard, especially if you are having doubt about the said intuition. Thanks again, untended this could have bothered me greatly!
Still I admit daily to my wife that I love her!
...Or ehhhh... is that confession........
Well I do acknowledge her to be the person my heart belongs to. That's for sure.
Thnx cath!
:-D
Foreigner1, maybe profess or declare?
Yeah go ahead- Make English even more complicated for me...!
:-[
That certainly wasn't my intention, but I admit your reaction was amusing.
Wow! As a former English as a Second Language teacher, I really enjoyed the discussion. Foreigner1 and Insolitus, I have to admit I never had students as advanced as you. English is a very difficult language, and you're both experts. My congratulations!
:)
So now it's your turn- You learn both <span>our</span> languages!
8-)
Barbwire, you're strange. :-[
In any case, when there are no more than six million speakers of your own language (Finnish) worldwide and even using the word 'worldwide' in that sounds kind of silly and misleading, trying to become fluent in some major world language is really not optional. And since Nothing To Do With Arbroath is in English...
I thought the same thing as Barb. I wouldn't have known from your writing that neither of you spoke English as a first language! In fact, you both write better in English than many of the Americans I know.
I thought Nothing to do with Arbroath was Scottish?
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