It doesn't pay to enforce the rules in the UK.

[Snorri1234]

Most US states have some kind of smoking regulation these days... Good thing, too.

Nah man, it's the worst thing to happen to humanity since bush.

[Nikolai]

I say good thing because I got tired of having to breathe through my shirt every time some dumbass lit up in a small area... I (apparently) have sensitive lungs and a family history of asthma. So... I'm gonna stick with good thing.

[pimpdave]

I say good thing because I got tired of having to breathe through my shirt every time some dumbass lit up in a small area... I (apparently) have sensitive lungs and a family history of asthma. So... I'm gonna stick with good thing.

Yes, I agree. To Snorri, I must ask, if indoor smoking regulations are horrible, then what about regulations concerning spitting in public?

(back when Tuberculosis was significantly more common, spitting in public was a serious public health issue)

[Frigidus]

I say good thing because I got tired of having to breathe through my shirt every time some dumbass lit up in a small area... I (apparently) have sensitive lungs and a family history of asthma. So... I'm gonna stick with good thing.

Yes, I agree. To Snorri, I must ask, if indoor smoking regulations are horrible, then what about regulations concerning spitting in public?

(back when Tuberculosis was significantly more common, spitting in public was a serious public health issue)

It's illegal to do that somewhere? What do you do if you have to spit?

[pimpdave]

It's illegal to do that somewhere? What do you do if you have to spit?

There are ordinances in place pretty much everywhere (it's not going to get you locked up, just a ticket, from a conscientious cop -- like smoking indoors). You don't travel much, do you?

[Snorri1234]

I say good thing because I got tired of having to breathe through my shirt every time some dumbass lit up in a small area... I (apparently) have sensitive lungs and a family history of asthma. So... I'm gonna stick with good thing.

Yes, I agree. To Snorri, I must ask, if indoor smoking regulations are horrible, then what about regulations concerning spitting in public?

Well I don't mean all of the regulations are horrible. I can get behind on smoking being banned on trains, public buildings and more of that, I just really hate the smoking-bans in bars. I mean, yeah sure in a restaurant it's annoying and ruins the food too so yay for banning it there, but in fucking bars???

And spitting in public is uhm....nice? I don't know, i've never even heard of it being bad. And since second-hand smoke is really not that bad for you unless you live in a small room your entire life with a smoker I just can't see the deal.

I also think the whole "imposed on us" thing is the worst. A bar just honestly can't decide to allow smoking even if everyone in there including the personnel have no issue with it. That's just bullshit governments telling us what to do like what conservatists are always jammering about. Seriously, all that bitching and moaning about the gov telling you what to do with guns and you're fine with them telling you where to smoke/drink or make noise?

[pimpdave]

On that point, I do agree. Smoking should be permitted in bars. Ideally, it would split the market, so that smokers could still have a place to hang out, and non-smokers could go to non-smoking bars.

I think there are some cities in the USA where there are certain stipulations for a bar to allow smoking, creating the occasional oasis in a sea of non-smoking establishments.


As for spitting in public, it's not so much of an issue now that TB is not nearly so common. But I'm certain most places in Western Civ have laws against spitting in public, specifically to suppress the spread of TB. It's just not in the public consciousness so much anymore. Smoking seems to have supplanted it as the most common public health issue.

[Snorri1234]

On that point, I do agree. Smoking should be permitted in bars. Ideally, it would split the market, so that smokers could still have a place to hang out, and non-smokers could go to non-smoking bars.

Yeah. I don't believe there were actually any rules prior to the ban here telling bars they could not prohibit smoking. I've seen plenty of non-smoking areas in places.

I guess there wasn't actually a market for it though.

[Neoteny]

I'll agree with the bar thing. It's kind of expected there.

[brooksieb]

Well i wouldn't tell them myself to stop smoking why? i'm not paid so why do it? if i was there and i saw some guys throw that lady off i would act immediately but not to tell someone to stop smoking i'd tell the staff, they are paid and i'm not. Even then there are two of them so if i rugby tackle one of them the other could knife me but knowing that the cowardly bastards threw the lady off into the rails so it would be likely the other one would run but even then why do that? If she was smart enough she should of told staff if it was that number of days because they obviously wern't going to budge but i am no way going to say that it was her fault because it was not but a bit of common sense could pave the way in todays world.

[jonesthecurl]

Isn't smoking pretty much prohibited indoors everywhere cept for Las vegas?

When I went to Philly, people were smoking in the bar. I found it very strange.

[tconrad]

Seriously, why are there smoking bans on trainstations anyway? How does my smoking out in the open harm these people more than the gasfumes from all the fucking cars in the city?

Gas fumes are essentially carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide isn't good to breathe but it doesn't lead to cancer.

[Dancing Mustard]

Actually they also have a high carbon monoxide content... and that's a deadly poison.


Sure, no cancer... but still equally lethal if you breathe enough.

[Snorri1234]

Actually they also have a high carbon monoxide content... and that's a deadly poison.


Sure, no cancer... but still equally lethal if you breathe enough.

Oh don't forget mono-nitrogen oxide either.

[brianrogers]

She was old, and would have died anyway.
Don't blame the sweet and tender hooligan.

[heavycola]

the sweet and tender hooligan.

Ah, redolent of Mozza at his finest...


Jay's right, though. Here in the good ol' U of K we are pretty bad at enforcing that 'don't push grannies onto train tracks' rule. It's a cultural oversight. Americans are way better.

[kletka]

In the US we can smoke and drink where we please, by God. Unless you're in Chicago.

I dont believe you. Possessing an open alhocol container in a public place is an arrestable offense in the majority of the states...

Going back to the poor lady, UK needs a firm hand of law as in the good olden days. Look what is happening in this god-forsaken country: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=191707&in_page_id=2

(1) Laws of physics are not applicable in British courts
(2) Honest citizens have to pay for their own prosecution while crooks and illegal immigrants get legal aid

Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies.

[MeDeFe]

It is the law of the land not the law of physics that matters.

[jay_a2j]

Seriously, why are there smoking bans on trainstations anyway? How does my smoking out in the open harm these people more than the gasfumes from all the fucking cars in the city?

Gas fumes are essentially carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide isn't good to breathe but it doesn't lead to cancer.

You can get cancer from about 79,238,749,857 different things. If we ban them all we might be left with plain drinking water.... not the water with added Fluoride either.

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

[Snorri1234]

Seriously, why are there smoking bans on trainstations anyway? How does my smoking out in the open harm these people more than the gasfumes from all the fucking cars in the city?

Gas fumes are essentially carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide isn't good to breathe but it doesn't lead to cancer.

You can get cancer from about 79,238,749,857 different things. If we ban them all we might be left with plain drinking water.... not the water with added Fluoride either.

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

The most common cancer cause is not living inside a bubble your entire life. And even when you do live in a bubble you have to deal with heriditary forms of cancer, which are far more dickish.

[pimpdave]

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

Watching Erin Brockovich...

[Snorri1234]

Also, there was this sticker on our rental RV when I was in the US which said "This car and it's components contain chemicals that are known to the State of California to cause cancer."


Seriously, that's just weird.

[Snorri1234]

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

Watching Erin Brockovich...

Playing World of Warcraft...

[jay_a2j]

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

Watching Erin Brockovich...

Good movie.

[tconrad]

Seriously, why are there smoking bans on trainstations anyway? How does my smoking out in the open harm these people more than the gasfumes from all the fucking cars in the city?

Gas fumes are essentially carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide isn't good to breathe but it doesn't lead to cancer.

You can get cancer from about 79,238,749,857 different things. If we ban them all we might be left with plain drinking water.... not the water with added Fluoride either.

We would have to ban:

Cell phones
Microwaves
The sun
All chemicals added to food
Nuclear technology
etc.

It's true that lots of things can cause cancer. But if someone was running around on train station dropping chemicals that cause cancer in your food, wouldn't you want him stopped?

Besides the heath risks, I think many people who have never smoked cigarettes regularly would agree that the smell is obtrusive and annoying.

Also, speaking of cancer causing things. I learned about a fungus in a class once, which is almost identical to the fungus used to make fish sauce (maybe soy sauce, don't remember). Anyway it releases toxins that cause liver cancer, and because lots of small mom and pop style fish sauce operations in China use it, their rate of liver cancer is something like 300 times higher than the rest of the world.