I'm with Ricky Gervais........

I agree to a point - I think it depends on the context and situation. He’s a comedian so he can joke about things as part of a routine that wouldn’t translate in the same way if you were to direct them at an individual and would see you in trouble legally as a result

But he's right! Despite people who claim they "can't say something" because it will offend the so-called PC mob, you can say almost anything in the UK, unless it breaks a law on incitement to hatred or is in the context of a job interview, etc.

You might end up with no friends, people will criticise you, if you're in the public eye, you'll have no fans or, if you're in certain jobs which require you to sign a contract, you might lose your job, but there's not very much to stop you saying what you want.

What kind of trouble would people be in for, as an example, making a mother-in-law joke? It might be offensive and you can forget about your mother-in-law remembering you in her will, but it won't get you into legal trouble.

For example, if I were to single out a disabled person on a train and direct jokes about being in a wheelchair I might find myself in trouble (and rightly so)

There are places in the world where you really "can't say" things. You could find youtself imprisoned, flogged, executed.

People need to remember that when they say they "cant say" X,Y,Z, when in fact they CAN, its just that people will in turn say that they dont like it!

Also, the people who say "you cant say X nowadays" are people who habitually say X. Freely. And all that happens to them is that people either disagree with them or avoid them.

Exactly, notanan.

SirChenjin I would hope if you behaved as you described that other people would intervene. However, who would you be "in trouble" with?

If I was making jokes that were obviously causing upset or offence then the train company might intervene or the police might be called if the person felt I was harassing them.

Yes, they might, especially if they have a no-harassment policy.

I'm not claiming that you shouldn't do it, but that you could do it.

Disability is covered by equal opportunities legislation, so it would arguably be harassment, but if somebody kept mocking a fellow passenger for being bald (or whatever), it wouldn't be illegal. Other passengers might very well have something to say about it.

I know what you’re saying - that’s what I meant by context and situation.

Ah! OK!

By the way, I don't think Ricky Gervais is very funny and I wouldn't joke about people with disabilities.

No I don’t think he’s very funny either - I thought tThe Office was very clever and well written but that’s the only thing of his I’ve found funny