Sir, Sir Charley broke the rules

The news that Charles Kennedy has been busted for smoking on the Plymouth train creates mixed feelings.

The fact that the train staff didn't just ask him stop, but needed to get the transport police to talk to him smacks of a level of patheticness I find hard to fathom. No doubt their training superviosr has told them that they might get beaten up by recalcitrant smokers so they had better not do anything just call the police. Of course this sort of direction, and worse that the staff took it seriously is a symptom of our times. If the train staff had any level of automony they could gage a situation, and act accordingly. Thus is a pissed up biker was having a fag, then maybe discretion would be the better part of valour. But a senior politician, whether pissed up (well it is Charley) or not is not the same thing.

Kennedy must be having a laugh with his excuse. Either that or he was pissed.

Thirdly, what a sanctimonious doubledealer. The blighter voted for the smoking ban, no doubt because he needs the law to help him give up. "The ban is good because it will help me stop smoking". Well Charley that is up to you. For goodness sake grow up man and take responsibility for your own actions, don't bring in represive legislations because of a weakness in your own character.

Forthly. I wonder what would have happened if it were you, me or any other punter. Do you really believe that we would have got away with,
"It was explained that that wasn't OK, and that was that."
from the police. Not ruddy likely, we would have had the whole book plus fixed £250 fine chucked at us.