Tickling hits the Headlines in the UK (and not in a good way!)

[TickleGuy4U]

Tickling has hit the news today here in the UK - unfortunatly, not in a very nice or particularly helpful way!

We have a TV show here called 'Britain`s Got Talent' (which I have better things to do than watch!). A contestant who made it as far as the semi-finals has excused himself from the competition after it was revealed he is a registered sex offender.

The Daily Mail newspaper (SOURCE ) reported on Saturday that ITV had originally announced Richard Bates had pulled out due to a broken hand. But Bates later said publicly he was fine but is on the sex offender registry.

The British newspaper said Bates, aged 27, was placed on the list for three years after being convicted in connection with an indecent assault on a boy in Manchester that involved 'feet tickling'. He is to be on the list for another month.

On one of the numerous websites where this story appeared, readers have been encouraged to post responses. One user has posted the following response:

"Am i the only one who is fed up with these feet ticklers ruining this once great country??
It seems you can barely leave your house before an attempted foot tickle takes place.Many friends and aquaintances of mine have taken to wearing 2 pairs of socks and wellington boots-AT THE BEACH!!
When will the police crackdown on this new plague threatening our way of life?"

Now, I'm sure pople here in the TMF may have a few things to say about all this!

From reading comments like this, I get the feeling that the public's general view of those of us into tickling is that we are all pedophiles (which, of course, we're not!!)

I'm also quite surprised by the comment about "these feet ticklers ruining this once great country... When will the police crackdown on this new plague threatening our way of life?" - I'm surprised because it gives the impression that there are sexual predators around every corner in the UK waiting to "tickle" unsuspecting people! I very much doubt that this is the case! I for one would never even contemplate behaving in this way, and I'm sure the vast majority of those interested in tickling would agree with me.

 

[tkrexx]

Has the Witch-Hunt finally begun?

 

[Paper#Boy]

Look firstly there is a difference between someone who gains sexual gratification from tickling another adult and someone who gains sexual gratification from tickling a child it's called pedophilia that is the reason for peoples disgust at his actions !

"Am i the only one who is fed up with these feet ticklers ruining this once great country??
It seems you can barely leave your house before an attempted foot tickle takes place.Many friends and aquaintances of mine have taken to wearing 2 pairs of socks and wellington boots-AT THE BEACH!!
When will the police crackdown on this new plague threatening our way of life?"

Hmmmmm .... That doesn't sound ever so suspiciously like it could have been written by somebody (possibly around here) with an agenda does it ! ....

Sounds very suspicious to me, I mean "feet ticklers" ? who in the mainstream general public would say that ? and the general tone of the comment is just ridiculous "ruining this once great country??" and "police crackdown on this new plague threatening our way of life" ....

In other words TickleGuy4U this is someone most likely a poster on this board with very little imagination and a seriously fucked up agenda, so I wouldn't worry about mobs looking for every person into tickling between two (or more) consenting adults, and stringing them up just yet !

 

[Flatfoot]

Honestly, I think some of you are reading way too much into the quote. I know that one cannot necessarily detect voice inflection or tone from text, but from the look of it, I think the context of the quote was written tongue-in-cheek.

I have a feeling the quote's poster was being sarcastic and didn't see how the subject should be considered a registered sex-offender for tickling someone. I think it is someone who in unaware that there is a whole community that takes this stuff way more seriously than the average person who doesn't view it as anything more than the equivalent of playfully giving a noogie to a sibling.

I mean, c'mon! "I know people who have been wearing two pairs of socks to the beach!" That clearly sounds like a joke to me.

 

[Wolf]

It's probably

Just some lame dorkwad who wants to get the discussion ball rolling along those lines.....fishing for other "experiences"......

 

[SlaverTickler]

Coming after us eh?

Going after adults who have tickle fun with other adults because some piece of trash is messing with kids isn't going to happen. It sounds like a plot from an erotic sci-fi film. "In the year 2007 man kind will be denied there god given right to tickle, the art of tickling will be lost over the next 30 year. However in the year 2040 a man from the past will venture to the future to teach them all to laugh again, and his name is The SlaverTickler."

 

[Mark Diplock]

Going after adults who have tickle fun with other adults because some piece of trash is messing with kids isn't going to happen. It sounds like a plot from an erotic sci-fi film. "In the year 2007 man kind will be denied there gon given right to tickle, the are of tickling will be lost over the next 30 year. However in the year 2040 a man from the past will venture to the future to teach them all to laugh again, and his name is The SlaverTickler."

He will find an underground resistance movement, who are trying to tickle some sense into the rest of the world. And finding a leader in the man from out of time, they take to the above ground and start to take back their god given right to tickle and be tickled.

Sounds like a film i'd love to see!

 

[brianspencer66]

Look Im sure if this guy is on some sort of registers list its for far more than foot tickling. And secondly the quote of ticklers being a menace makes me laugh. There is more to this story than whats in that article. Dont jump to conclusions and wait and see what the facts bear out.

 

[SlaverTickler]

He will find an underground resistance movement, who are trying to tickle some sense into the rest of the world. And finding a leader in the man from out of time, they take to the above ground and start to take back their god given right to tickle and be tickled.

Sounds like a film i'd love to see!

Of course the people in power will secretly have tickle parites where they abuse the homeless, and illigal aliens. Sort of like in Porkies II (I think it was the 2nd one), where the religious people are aposed to a medaly of shakespear while secretly watching porn in the basement of the church.

 

[subZer0]

I've not heard of this! What a bugger. Well, we'll just have to hope that not everyone thinks of us as sex offenders!

However, if he got 'sexual gratification' from a child, in any way, he definitely deserves being on the register. What the thing doesn't say is whether it was sexual or not. However, I don't think he could be put on it for just 'tickling a child's feet', if there was no sexual thing going on.

 

[SlaverTickler]

I've not heard of this! What a bugger. Well, we'll just have to hope that not everyone thinks of us as sex offenders!

However, if he got 'sexual gratification' from a child, in any way, he definitely deserves being on the register. What the thing doesn't say is whether it was sexual or not. However, I don't think he could be put on it for just 'tickling a child's feet', if there was no sexual thing going on.

If he got a woody tickling a kids feet then it was sexul. If he held this kid down against his will and tickled his feet against his will then there are already a slew of None Sexual charges he can have layed on him, and he judge probably figured why would he tickle a kid (he didn't know?) if it wasn't for "sexual gratification".

 

[subZer0]

If he got a woody tickling a kids feet then it was sexul. If he held this kid down against his will and tickled his feet against his will then there are already a slew of None Sexual charges he can have layed on him, and he judge probably figured why would he tickle a kid (he didn't know?) if it wasn't for "sexual gratification".

Agreed. He probably wouldn't be on the register if it wasn't sexual.

 

[Cave In]

Saw this in a newspaper in work yesterday but didnt realise it involved tickling...Disgusting....another one giving our fetish a bed rep.

 

[Redmage]

I'm looking and the comment in the OP and I'm having a bit of trouble taking it seriously. Looks more like over the top sarcasm to me, unless there really is an epidemic of non-con tickling in Britain.

 

[Oddjob0226]

I'm thinking Denver and Red are on the right track.....

 

[WayTooD]

lol... am i the only one that finds the quote by that person hilarious?? i don't think they were being serious at all, sounds like the person being quoted was being a dick to the reporter.

really don't think there is a witch hunt or the sky is falling or any of that. that guy touched a kid in a sexual way (to him), and that's f'ed up. but i don't think they'll be banging on the doors of those of us who practice it with a loving partner of the same age, or just sneak it in there every now and then with friends.

moral of the story - talented people don't molest children...

... stay in school...

~ Kev

 

[Soda83pop]

The quote was someone being sarcastic....

 

[CDFGA]

Agreed, purely sarcastic.

Some people need to calm down, sheesh. It's gonna be ok!

 

[El Capitan]

the comment kinda sounds like one of those letter things they have on Monty Python, signed General Harvey Granger, Missus...

 

[starfires]

I'm looking and the comment in the OP and I'm having a bit of trouble taking it seriously. Looks more like over the top sarcasm to me, unless there really is an epidemic of non-con tickling in Britain.

Oh, the quote is definitely intended sarcastically. The two pairs of socks give it away, if nothing else. Problem is, some people (like the OP) didn't take it that way. I'm sure somebody is putting on a second pair of socks as we speak because the evil foot ticklers are afoot. Oh well, you can only go so far to protect people from themselves.

 

[WheresThe Clip?]

Another example of how British humour doesn't translate across the Atlantic. This is because Americans tend to take things on a very literal basis, whereas over here in the UK we tend to say the exact opposite of what we mean in order to get a laugh.

I thought it was funny the moment I read it.

 

[Hapless Ticklee]

Maybe it would have been better if the words "NOT" and "DUH" had been added to the end of the quote in large bold letters.

Don't you have sarcasm and irony in certain states in America?

 

[TickleGuy4U]

For reference, HERE is the site where the quote can be found

 

[WayTooD]

Maybe it would have been better if the words "NOT" and "DUH" had been added to the end of the quote in large bold letters.

Don't you have sarcasm and irony in certain states in America?

lol...

 

[subZer0]

I'm looking and the comment in the OP and I'm having a bit of trouble taking it seriously. Looks more like over the top sarcasm to me, unless there really is an epidemic of non-con tickling in Britain.

I agree, it does all sound a bit of a joke, and I doubt anyone with a sound mind would say that!

I doubt that there's an epidemic, but I don't think it's as mainstream here as in other countries, which may add to the freakiness. People just get wierded out when they hear about anything that isn't just plain missionary with the lights off (well, OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little). It's crappy, but that's Brits for you. You know, the stiff upper lip and stuff.