h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a friend who once argued to me along the following lines:

Societies exist to look after the majority and are not necessarily right, or even good, all of the time.

Sometimes people find themselves breaking the laws of society, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they are bad.

But society needs to be protected from people who don't obey the laws, so we put them in prison.

This is a bit unfair, so why not just put them someplace where they don't have to obey our laws but aren't any threat to 'nice' people?

The Isle of Wight would probably be the perfect place to use as Britain's sin bin because it's not much for anything else.

What say you, Oh Yaverland pundit?

You've insulted the Isle of Wight. The Island has several uses, it's not just a place to get rid of people you don't want - what do you think Weymouth's for???

I'm sorry. I've never been there so I can't really comment.

In "The Day of the Triffids" the IoW was the last outpost of humanity, if that makes you feel any better.

Speaking of uses for places, I had another friend who suggested that Wales would make a good car park for people visiting Birmingham.