Smoking Ban

[Gizmogle]

Is it me, or are there still ALOT of people smoking?
There've been plenty of BTP around Woking, but I got to Salisbury and there were none and loads of people were smoking.
I imagine it'll start to take a bit more of an effect once people start getting fined...but hmm, doesn't seem to have made a great difference yet.
Opinions?

 

[Mojo]

I've noticed TOCs have used the English smoking ban which commenced on the 1st July to ban smoking on stations, even stations which are not covered under the legislation. Signs "it is against the law to smoke anywhere on this station" have appeared at a number of stations where it would not be illegal under the Health Act, but on which it seems only illegal under the railway byelaws (no smoking where there are signs saying so.)

The SWT website says smoking has been banned on their stations, however it has been banned under the Railway Byelaws - not the smoking ban (of course the exception being the areas in which the smoking ban *does* apply.) This obviosuly results in the oddity where Local Authority enforcement staff can only issue Penalty Notices on some parts of stations, whereas railway staff or the police can issue them everywhere. In practice, I think Local Authorities will leave it to the railway to prosecute all offences to avoid the ambiguity of where the actual offence took place.

It's also worth noting that if SWT sees smoking on a part of the station or on their trains where smoking is prohibitied under the Health Act - they will be committing the offence of permitting smoking and can be fined.

 

[Gizmogle]

Yes, I've noticed all the stickers around. But I've still seen people smoking on stations. Not sure if the staff noticed it though.
From what I've seen they're doing a very good job at Birmingham New Street with it.

 

[Tom B]

I mentioned it to a SA the other day on LU who told me he wouldn't be able to find the person in question, despite me giving the train number and direction of travel...

 

[Lewisham2221]

Yes, I've noticed all the stickers around. But I've still seen people smoking on stations. Not sure if the staff noticed it though.
From what I've seen they're doing a very good job at Birmingham New Street with it.

New Street has been no smoking for yonks, what with it being underground and all that.

 

[Gizmogle]

New Street has been no smoking for yonks, what with it being underground and all that.

Yes, but I mean they were really making an effort. BTP everywhere. Actually standing by a huge line of people that had just come out of the station dying for a fag. Rather amusing really.

 

[Mojo]

The BTP are always at New Street standing there looking threatening, but failing to deal with any important issues such as the beggars & Big Issue sellers who hassle people leaving the station.

 

[Craig]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6278414.stm

 

[Mojo]

Maybe he revealed his true Lib-Dem colours and moved on to the party's train-hating stance

 

[yorkie]

But I've still seen people smoking on stations. Not sure if the staff noticed it though.

Take their photo, a Fotopic site could be set up called 'Smokeface'

 

[Nym]

Techicaly though it's an open space so they shouldn't be alowed to ban it except under railway bylaws, I'll check Northern Rail's rules tomorow

Not that anyone would ban amking at brid anyway, no-one cares. If you smoke less than 20 a day here, you're weird

 

[Dennis]

I have a little chuckle to myself when I see bus shelters with no glass in them but still proudly sporting a no smoking sticker.

 

[Nym]

I think the're just rubbing it in

 

[Tom B]

Techicaly though it's an open space so they shouldn't be alowed to ban it except under railway bylaws, I'll check Northern Rail's rules tomorow

Not that anyone would ban amking at brid anyway, no-one cares. If you smoke less than 20 a day here, you're weird

They are, it's under the bylaws now apparently. It makes a nice change to go along a platform without people smoking for once...

 

[mbonwick]

What gets me about smoking is you can ban it on public transport, but you can't stop smokers using public transport, so long as they don't smoke on the journey.
That's all well and good, but it's not so nice if you have to sit next to one of them...

 

[devon_metro]

No more smokers hanging out of doors at every station now!

 

[Gizmogle]

Manchester Oxford Road was FULL of smokers.

Look in his hand. Tut tut.

 

[First ScotRail]

personally i think you dont have enough signs at stations, if you see in scotland we have the signs everywhere and incidents of people smoking on stations are very rare from what ive seen.

 

[Daniel]

Trust me, those signs are everywhere...

 

[mbonwick]

Even worse on buses, Stagecoach are not content with just

, but have to go the full way with one which state that 'it is illegal to smoke on this vehicle'

They totally ruin the view

 

[Mojo]

It could be either they are getting confused with the Scottish law, which does require fuller signs, or the English law which has different smoking sign requirements for buildings & vehicles.

http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/what-do-i-do/business.html#signage

 

[mbonwick]

No, I suspect that they were planning to use those anyway, they've been appearing for quite a while before the one as part of the ban came out.

However, it could be so that the buses can be used in Scotland without having to change the signs. Stagecoach is based in Perth

 

[kettlefan]

my school is now plastered in no-smoking stickers:

"it is illegal to smoke in this building"

regardless of the fact its a school

I don't really give a toss about the whole ban thing, if people light up near me I really don't mind, I probably do just as much damage to myself when driving steam locos, seeing as I'm in the direct path of the exhaust smoke, at least its not addictive :?

what I find amusing is all the hype about the ban, when the air around us is still polluted heavily in places. Ironically, Egham Sports Centre has the dirtiest air in the whole of Surrey. This is due to it being sited right next to a motorway. Ummm yes....clever. I also live next to the M25, so the air around my neighbourhood is probably pretty poor. Of course its not so much of a social issue, so the government don't make such a big a deal over it as smoking in public. I'd rather the majority of the air around me was clean, rather than the 10 square foot or so surrounding a smoker.

 

[Crompton Karl]

Yesterday i was at a concert at Twickenham Stadium (for those who are interested it was Genesis, and Yes it rocked!) although outside the rules were still the same as those at stations or workplaces, No Smoking. People who lit up were asked to put them out politely, if they refused they were evicted and at £65 a ticket that was an expensive cigarette. The stewards were on their game, the place was a 70'000 seater sell out and the atomsphere was great and the only smoke to be had was from the fireworks!

Karl

 

[Lewisham2221]

What makes me laugh is the amount of crap the press came up with saying how the smoking ban was going to damage trade for pubs and clubs and suchlike. I've been out on the town twice since the ban came in - both times have been as busy if not busier than usual, with crowds of smokers happy enough to pop outside for a fag.

 

[Tom B]

I'd second that, went down to a local cafe the other day, instead of the previous situation which was non-smoking area full, smoking area scattered with a few people but largely empty, the whole cafe was packed out and the atmosphere was much better.

 

[Mojo]

I saw a poster the other day saying that cigarettes are more harmful than car exhausts. I would like to see the statistics they've based that on (ie: 1 car vs 1 cigarette), however.

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/harmfulsubstances/airpollutionandradon/

 

[Ascot]

Glad the bans finally come on place

anyhow back from Las Vegas nice suntan and plenty of piccies.

 

[First ScotRail]

I think the problem is with the slight differences between the english and scottish laws.

 

[Gizmogle]

Really doesn't seem to be affecting around here much. We have the guards smoking on Buxton station after getting of the train. Manchester seemed quite bad too, smokers everywhere and no one doing anything about it.
I could send off my picture of a man smoking at Oxford Street, but I don't think I'm that mean. Northern are poor enough without having to pay fines.