No Smoking Irritations

[Robusto]

THE PUB BAN

Well... We're 25 months down the line with this one in the UK and no change seemingly on the horizon. We've discussed it here before. I loathe the pub smoking ban, but I'll pass on...

WALKING AROUND TOWNS

No smoking in arcades has become an annoyance this Summer. I don't mean in the Trafford Centre or Bluewater. I mean when you are out and about in a town enjoying a cigar and then you can't walk down a short passage with entrance and exit quite visible and with an obvious free-flow of air inside. I've had this in London (including on the cigar walk), Canterbury and Brussels this Summer and I find it a pain because you have to start pratting about. It infuriates me.

I think the majority of people in a short arcade wouldn't bat an eyelid if a cigar smoker walked by and let fly some sweet perfume. In fact I think most passers-by love the smell of a good cigar at a distance.

[cj121]

Yes the arcadian dilemma Bryan. From memory the ban officially affects those structures with three sides, so technically there is no legislation. However, I might be wrong and will stand extinguished if corrected.

[Paulie]

The smoking ban brings up mixed opinions in me. On one side I can understand the reasoning behind it and think it is probably for the better good. On the other side I find it frustrating as I used to have a cigar when playing snooker or in certain local bars which can't be done now.

I had a long chat about this before and I feel that private members clubs should be allowed to have the ban or not based on a concensus of the members. The staff issue though is always the problem as they are meant to be allowed to work in a non smoking environment.

The famous incident was when the ban was in Scotland before England and a truck driver was pulled over on the A74(M) by the police as he was smoking a cigarette in his truck cab when he crossed the border. The cab being his place of work thus he was fined for it.

To me that's just too much, but it is the law!

[Robusto]

Do you also find it a pain, Chris?

I mean the Burlington Arcades of this world were constructed with gentlemen's promenades very much in mind, surely? And those guys would have been out and about with fat ones on the go.

I wish I lived in the heyday of cigar smoking, sometimes.

I don't actually know when that was , but I wish I'd lived in it.

Smart clothes. Shitloads in the bank. Ravishing women. (Adjective? Verb?). Horse-drawn carriages...

Nah.

Just being able to walk round a town nowadays without these doctrinaire prohibitions would be fine.

[Robusto]

The famous incident was when the ban was in Scotland before England and a truck driver was pulled over on the A74(M) by the police as he was smoking a cigarette in his truck cab when he crossed the border. The cab being his place of work thus he was fined for it.

To me that's just too much, but it is the law!

That's insane, Paulie!

[Robusto]

Costa Coffees and the like can be the only haven to pause over a cigar in towns. Thankfully nobody has tried to make me move away or asked me to put a fat one out.

I know if someone were to ask me to move very nicely, I'd doubtless oblige.

If anyone got loudly stroppy about my cigar, I'd stay put on principle.

Fortunately I haven't had any flappers kicking up a fuss over this at all.

[Paulie]

Crazy eh, it made the newspapers too. Am trying to find the article online but no luck yet.

[cj121]

Being, dare, I say it Bryan a cigarette smoker too, the ban has wider consequence for me, but I do appreciate the overall health sentiment of it all. I abhore second hand whiffs of exhaled tobacco in my face even in the open (especially straight out of someone elses mush)

However, I think that the perfume of a fine puro whilst heaven to some, is hell to others. For the uninitiated, or appreciative, it's just another cloud of cancerous toxins sadly.

[Robusto]

I kind of think 'Lighten up, Sweetie' to all flappers! lol

[cj121]

Too bloody right mate. Old school tactics and bring 'em round the bend

[Simon-JG-hr]

A couple of interesting sites - I'm sure most of you have visited the first (and, indeed, signed the petition ):

1) http://www.amendthesmokingban.com/

and

2) British Columbia Best Practice (Smoking Rooms)

The latter I find to be quite interesting.

On matters of smoking I will admit to being somewhat of a hypocrite - I am, to a fair degree, anti-smoking. However, I also believe that provisions should be in place so that people may enjoy a sociable herf indoors... Separate areas are a must, naturally, so that one might still enjoy a drink or meal without second hand smoke (which we must acknowledge will mostly be of the bland, stale, cigarette kind). Do ventilated rooms work? Possibly, though possibly not quite as well as I had first thought? I'm not sure, but it may be a happy medium - if not for their effectiveness, for the fact that installing them may put some establishments from doing so, which would keep the goody-goodies happy that there is still a strong discouragement from indoor smoking.

Workers... particularly interesting when linked to private members clubs. I agree that they should never have been included in the ban - if members wish to smoke in their own clubhouse, then all power to them. If through the mechanisms of the club, it is decided that smoking should be banned on their, private, premises, then so be it, there shall be no smoking. Even if there had to be separate rooms for purchasing drinks from employees, and a members only, no staff, smoking room, then that still provides opportunities for a private group of individuals to do as they desire on their premises.

[cohibaIV]

THE PUB BAN

No smoking in arcades has become an annoyance this Summer. I don't mean in the Trafford Centre or Bluewater. I mean when you are out and about in a town enjoying a cigar and then you can't walk down a short passage with entrance and exit quite visible and with an obvious free-flow of air inside. I've had this in London (including on the cigar walk), Canterbury and Brussels this Summer and I find it a pain because you have to start pratting about. It infuriates me.

I think the majority of people in a short arcade wouldn't bat an eyelid if a cigar smoker walked by and let fly some sweet perfume. In fact I think most passers-by love the smell of a good cigar at a distance.

Me...I WOULD just walk down, knowing the fact that I am not inclosed..!

[deltawhisky]

It's a problem, Robusto. I've just come back from a couple of nights in Ypres, Belgium, and was surprised to see ashtrays in a number of bars in the town -- so what exactly are the regulations in this particular state, for instance? Is smoking completely banned, or allowed in 'drinking pubs'?

I don't think too many people would get on their high horses at the sight and smell of a stick. I mean, come on -- what was commonplace a matter of years ago is now a taboo for some. Sad really.

[michael69]

Yes the arcadian dilemma Bryan. From memory the ban officially affects those structures with three sides, so technically there is no legislation. However, I might be wrong and will stand extinguished if corrected.

Reminds me of a classic last year......

I was in Cleverley's in the Royal Arcade off Bond St., when a quite distinguished gentleman (I think he was from Texas from his accent) came in; he had a siglo VI on the go as he approached the shop, so he left it in the big potted plant that was just outside the door.

Of course, he was already technically in breach of the law by entering the arcade with his cigar, but it got better when, after some time, somebody noticed that the plant was on fire; a quick rescue of the cohiba was naturally the priority, but a have a feeling that others in the arcade at the time may have considered the welfare of the plant to be a more pressing consideration....

Yes, this actually happened!

[cj121]

Good story Michael, and rightly so the cigar took priority

Perhaps we need more areas like this guy