Smoking

[Norm]

Totally agree, Plus kids in shopping trolleys with thier shoes on really annoys me, Putting the soles of thier shoes  that have trod in goodness knows what where the next person hat to put their food.

Absolutely right, I mean do kids even know how lucky they are to have shoes! My father had a brother who was lucky enough to have a pair of girls boots on his feet .... All of his friends were bare footed!  (True dat!)

And another thing, who is spitting all that gum onto the pavement that sets rock hard, have you ever tried to peel it up a re-use it! No way is that even possible.

And another thing, have you been in a cake shop and someone is in front of you with a 3 year old and they say which one do you want Charlie! And then Charlie gets mesmerised by 100 cakes and just can't choose and he is taking ages and ages and ages and you just want to get served cos your back is raggin' and you are dying for a pee. Whatever happened to parents saying, 'here you are, you're having that one, its the cheapest, they are currents, not flies, well its either that or nothing' . While my back cranks up a notch and my feet go numb, I have a voice in my head that is screaming 'just pick a cake for him will you!

[Heedless Horseman]

Fred: I rather think that someday I very well might see a heavy smokers lungs in person...or BITS of mine when coughing.   
Seen pics... but like the pics on tab packets.... I suspect that they are 'selective for dramatic effect'... as they are meant to be.

Orcs:
So you are saying I should have  effectively been barred from entering any so called public place if I did not want to inhale another Persons  smoke.  What about MY CHOICE  to enjoy a beer / meal / Film  without the smoke?
No. it was choice.
Now, situation reversed by LEGISLATION with penalties which is something VERY different. 
MY choice since the Ban has been to keep out, effectively barring myself from a large chunk of what could have been Life... and it's getting shorter...

When they set up the Ban, they could have allowed bars to have had smoking and non-smoking rooms... just like Railways had carriages. Not my preferred scenario...I always liked to stand at the bar... but I would have accepted as 'annoying' but 'fair enough'. Would have been a problem for all the Pubs which had knocked down all the divided rooms, (Bar, Snug... etc.), to go for open plan and a single bar... but that was a 'change' that I didn't like, anyway. Where applicabe, some pubs have gone to the cost of providing  sheltered outdoor areas! 

Smoking Rooms are far from ideal. Pre Ban, my ex worklace.. (which was large, 'open' areas, or 'personal 'cubicles)... used to allow smokers to have the occasional tab when they felt the need, whiles't getting on with their job. Then a 'No Smoking AT Work' policy was enforced. (For SOME reason, the Damn Union did not oppose!  )
Possibly 'unnofficially' , we could smoke in the rest room on breaks. Result was up to a dozen staff puffing away like mad to get their 'fix' ... you could hardly see!
The consequence of the policy for myself was that, instead of having a smoke 'now and then' I became a 'chain smoker' whenever I had the chance. Consumption, (And Cost!),'doubled'. 

New premesis witout a smoking room... so you got the sad bunch, huddled 'out the back'... rain, hail or snow... and no chance of even an awning. And this Pre Ban. 
At least some Pubs, etc. which 'can' often try to give their customers 'some' cover outdoors ... or far fewer smoking customers!

You also got the 'griping' from non-smokers... about others 'going off for a smoke' when 'they' couldn't... (Conveniently forgetting Their 'phone calls', etc.!). SOME may have abused... but  I pretty much 'stuck' to breaks... unless the rare 'Nothing needing doing'... but almost got into a fight when a manager refused to accept that I KNEW 'when' I went out on my breaks... but HE 'perceived' it otherwise! 

As far as 'Smell' goes... yes, agreed to an extent. Some of my stuff does tend to reek!  But, one thing that I very much noticed Post Ban, was that I suddenly noticed how much other people in Pubs 'Ponged'... including non-smokers!  LOL!  Previously, couldn't tell. 

Anyway... like all too many other thing in modern society... people are being 'Pushed' into 'polarisation'. 
Hard Core Smokers v Hard Core Antis... most people just want to get along... 

Wish I hadn't started this up... BUT it may have allowed some MUTUAL gripes to be aired! (Marriage Guidance Councelling? Anyone? LOL). 
But none should forget that the current situation has become that in which Smokers ARE being 'hard done by' in many ways. 

[steve_holmes_11]

MY choice since the Ban has been to keep out, effectively barring myself

Everything you need to know about this thread, in half a sentence.

[Heedless Horseman]

Maybe I should clarrify ME, a bit. ?? (Probably shouldn't!! And, Why Bother? ) 
In younger years, a bit TOO quiet. 'Wouldn.t say Boo to a goose'. Just accepted things. 
Not Military ... though 'so 'minded... (Wouldn't have been any good! lol)... so no 'Milling'.... Would Try to separate Pub fights ...(1980s!)... but  sometimes wished that I had not! lol. 

As I got older... IF NOT Wiser, (Necessarily?), I started to realise that, sometimes, You Have To 'Punch Back'... or just accept being 'stood on'.  'Warnings Work'... 'IF'You Make them!
But... if something IS important to YOU... and YOU  do not Defend it.. it WILL GO. Sometimes YOU cannot DO anything about it... and the 'sensible thing' is to just aquiesce, quietly? 

Anyone know much about History?...  Joking! LOL!! 

So, Now, being an agieng, Old B*****d... Can't DO much.... but SO TIRED of Being 'Stood On'... even if 'Others' feel better.  THEY also have THEIR place/views...YES! But... if that means 'shoving ME out of mine'... NOT HAPPY!

Recent years ... in So 'many' ways... have been 'fighting retreat'.. in a LOST war. 

I don't WANT to 'Dogfight' anybody... too old/tired/drunk... BUT ! 
Pendraken Forum IS a 'friendly place '... so, maybe a bit of 'clarrification' may help peace. 

'Amicalment' LOL! 

[Heedless Horseman]

Everything you need to know about this thread, in half a sentence.

OOH! But see above! XXX

[Orcs]

Fred: I rather think that someday I very well might see a heavy smokers lungs in person...or BITS of mine when coughing.   
Seen pics... but like the pics on tab packets.... I suspect that they are 'selective for dramatic effect'... as they are meant to be.

This is exactly the reason they banned smoking in public places, so non smokers would not have to ciough their lungs up.

Orcs:

No. it was choice.
Now, situation reversed by LEGISLATION with penalties which is something VERY different. 
MY choice since the Ban has been to keep out, effectively barring myself from a large chunk of what could have been Life... and it's getting shorter...

Yes, the same choice you have now, and you are objecting to being given the same choice non smokers had before the ban.

They had to do it by legislation as those who run the Pubs / resturants etc needed something to back them up when inconsiderate people chose to ignore the ban.

Smoking is the only habit that is forced on those who do not partake. I am sure you would object to people injecting heroin in the pub , and then forcing you to also partake if you wanted to go in.

If you want to smoke, that is your choice and right .  But its my choice and right to insist that neither I or my family catch a lungful of it.

[Techno II]

Chaps.......This is getting a bit too heated.

Cheers - Phil.