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EDITORIAL: Watch your language

There are some words that shouldn't be said in polite society but is it OK to wear them? That's the question in the wake of two recent incidents in which people were excluded for improper language on their clothing and accessories.

There are some words that shouldn't be said in polite society but is it OK to wear them?

That's the question in the wake of two recent incidents in which people were excluded for improper language on their clothing and accessories.

In the first instance, two men were thrown out of a Canucks game for wearing pink t-shirts with a homophobic reference. In the second, a fare evader was barred from SkyTrain even after she paid for her ticket because she was wearing a button with the "F" word and refused to remove it.

Are these cases of overzealous thought police or appropriate responses to inappropriate behaviour?

In the hockey situation, the shirts may have been offensive to people attending the game or watching it on TV and the arena owners had a right to take action. On SkyTrain, where commuters are a captive audience, TransLink officials believe the public has a right to a higher level of respect and decorum, and a police complaints commissioner agreed.

It's refreshing to hear there are some places where standards of decorum still apply.

What do you think? Do you agree with TransLink's decision to evict a rider because of bad language on a button? Vote in our online poll