DID you ever hear anything as ridiculous as the call by Mick Rix, general secretary of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, for his members to have more free time - so they can take recreational drugs without it endangering passengers' lives?

Mr Rix does not believe there is a problem at present with drivers being in charge of trains while still stoned because they do not have breaks long enough to let them get over the effects of drugs, but he thinks we must anticipate such a situation.

He also suggests that it is one that could increase as more drivers come from ethnic minorities which, according to him "tend to prefer drugs" - something which he says that we have to accept is "part of their culture."

But, surely, we do not have to anticipate nor accept either of these things.

If Mr Rix is anxious to ensure that passengers' lives are not further endangered on our already-frightening railways, he should not be encouraging druggie drivers at all.

He should be pledging that his union will support the instant dismissal of all who are found to be drug users.

What have we come to when a trade union chief can condone such recklessness, even in the slightest?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.