We live in a truly weird age where people think they can take whatever decisions they want and then only accept the positive consequences from that choice. Anything negative is complained about loudly in a painfully me, me, me kind of way.

Such is the way that the breakup of a plague rave that took place in France recently has been reported. It took place in the north west of the country last Friday – and we’re meant to believe that the rave took place in memory of a man who’d died two years earlier.

Well, either this is a barefaced lie or the rave was infiltrated by types who would have been more at home in Belfast during the Troubles than in a sleepy French commune. Molotov cocktails and tear gas were used against the police when they inevitably turned up to close the event down.

Someone lost their hand amidst the commotion. No one seems able to explain how it happened, though. Was it a terrible accident or was it blown off as he fired off some tear gas towards the police? We don’t know. Which makes it extremely difficult to know whether to feel sympathy for the 22-year old Portuguese national in question or to conclude he’s a complete moron.

If you attend an illegal rave, that’s at your discretion. But I’m afraid that choice comes with potential consequences. If you’re lucky, you’ll go, have a good time and sleep well the next day. If you’re unlucky? With the event being illegal, you run the risk of police showing up. All I know is if you respond violently to the police when that happens, you can expect they won’t take kindly to you.

Every choice has consequences…