Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

This blog is to be the official launch of my one man campaign to get rid of these ridiculous “Smokers Bus Shelters” that are popping up in front of our pubs and restaurants. Who do these people think they are that their outdated and dirty habit should be catered for with a three sided wooden hut things with plastic glass windows?

Would you build a pub behind one of these things? If you didn't live in Thetford.....

I’ll normally kick against anything imposed by the government but I am also democratic. While over half the population wanted to eat and drink in a smoky atmosphere I would put up with it. But now they are in a declining minority why should the majority be expected to stand idly by while these monstrosities are being put up around the country by pub landlords scared stiff of losing smokers’ trade. Can they not see that by encouraging them to give up they would have their business for many more years to come? Clearly someone is making a good living selling these things but, when the landlord is trying to do it on the cheap the results are even more unpalatable.  It’s as if they are challenging the world to object on the grounds that they are poor people trying to protect their livelihood by assembling some ramshackle building to house the unemployed who want to smoke and drink themselves to death. What about Planning Permission? There have got to be planning issues here. Can you imagine before the smoking ban if a quaint old English pub said they wanted to erect a Bus Shelter outside. The local authority would have welcomed it with open arms and even offered some of its own underemployed workforce to help to put it up. I don’t think so. They would have come down like a ton of bricks with their clip boards, tape measures and copies of the regulations quicker than you could say “final salary pension scheme”. But since the smoking ban it’s as if they have turned a blind eye.

Far more sensible approach.......the landlord could rent these out "by the fag".

All this without getting into the pollution and environmental issues. Don’t get me started on them. If the smoke isn’t being breathed in by other pub visitors where is it going? Attacking the Bozo Layer, that’s where! But I’m not going there. Just all join with me to get these shelters pulled down. We can choose direct action by clipping the edge of them with our 4X4s on entering the pub car park. The open plan design will allow you to do so safely without splattering a smoker across your bull bars. A more subtle approach is to buy some really childish stink bombs and pop one or two of them in there when no one is looking. My favourite though is to take along a gang of non-smoking mates and fill the place to capacity, then spend the entire evening in there while the smokers have to stand outside. This can cause some bad feeling so make sure the mates are big ones.

Any other suggestions for direct or indirect action will be greatly appreciated as the campaign gathers momentum. We can win this one – and have some fun at smokers expense at the same time.

posted on 16 July 2008 10:55 by Grumpy Old Blogger

Comments

16 July 2008 11:10 by Niecey

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

I agree. Get all those ghastly smokey 4x4s off the road. Strip them out, put some bench seats in them and an ashtray, park one outside every pub, smokers can sit inside and save the planet too - Voila! Perhaps you could donate yours as an example!
16 July 2008 14:51 by Grumpy Old Blogger

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

...I sense a saboteur? Someone whose heart may not really be in the fight? However, on reflection and overlooking the sideswipe at my indulgent motoring habits, this idea may have legs. We could park a clapped out MOT failure in the corner of the pub car park. It could work apart from the fact that these smokers seem to want to be as close to the pub door as is humanly possible. I'll give it further thought Niecey.
Incidentally I have just purchased an even bigger 4X4 which has much lower carbon transition things and does even more miles to the gallon. Ironically, of course, that means I can do more polluting miles for my money. These green issues always seem to to have an equally logical "other side".
I have therefore decided on a very simple rule of thumb. I will take climate change and saving the planet seriously when I see world leaders able to agree on a sensible plan and our own UK leaders doing ANYTHING about climate change that doesn't involve simply taking more tax from me and claiming the moral high ground by telling me it's for my own good and all in the name of being eco-friendly.
16 July 2008 15:38 by Niecey

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

Hahaha! I have something clapped out in the driveway that I am happy to donate but Angry might have a fit!

You could park your new contraption down the pub for free and invite the smokers to come and sit in luxury in it. Charge them per fag. Obviously you could sell the charms of leather seats, air-con, heated seats and 'pipe' music!

Actually if you're doing more miles then I expect you are driving a long way away from Norfolk, so therefore not polluting our lovely green spaces, so you have redeemed yourself!

What about that big wheel in GT Y! I hope you will be taking your little treasures on that. About £30 for 12 minutes, probably cost you that in petrol to get there!
16 July 2008 17:17 by BT

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

Many moons ago when I used to smoke, our Boss at work would come into the staff canteen just as we had finished our lunch and were lighting up. He was a vehement anti-smoker, but as we worked in the flour milling trade the only place we were allowed to smoke was in the canteen. He would get his lunch and sit down at our table, fix us with a disapproving glare and say " Do you mind if I eat while you smoke?"

Unfortunately as an Ex Smoker (my Doc refuses to call me a non smoker) of over 20 years the smell of other peoples smoke is particularly unpleasant.
22 July 2008 14:35 by Para Handy

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

When the smoking ban came into force in Scotland I was chairman of Gigha Trading Ltd. GTL are responsible for the running of Gigha hotel, at the time we were asked if there could be a shelter erected for smokers. When we looked into this, the price was £4.000 we had to have planning permission, and above all there was the health and safety issue. Needless to say the smokers did not get their shelter. So grumpy look into the planning and HS for these contraptions’.
23 July 2008 09:54 by Grumpy Old Blogger

# re: Campaign to Ban Smokers Bus Shelters.

Thanks Para - I'm on the case.....