Thursday, February 17, 2011

The law of unintended consequences - Article 577 (Smoking Ban)

I spotted this corker in the Richmond Times last night,
Richmond College smoking ban criticised for sending puffing students into streets
You must read it, it is priceless, but my favourite two lines are,
Mr Rowles added: “The only solution as we see it is to lift the smoking ban in the college grounds.”
and,
Mr Ansell said he was keen to meet with residents and confirmed the smoking ban would be reviewed.

He said: “The college’s security manager has personally visited a number of residents to listen to their concerns and we will be reviewing our smoking policy.
An idiotic policy, that does nobody any favours.


4 comments:

Dick Puddlecote said...

It certainly made me laugh. When these daft policies are implemented, it's usually smokers who make a lot of noise about them but are completely ignored ... they're only filthy smokers, after all.

This time it's a whole load of angry ratepayers and the policymaker jumps to attention and makes himself, and his daft idea, look monumentally short-sighted. :)

Pat Nurse MA said...

“The no-smoking policy has driven criminal and antisocial behaviour on to our streets."

That bit got me - what next? "Smokers as criminals" as well as the other insults of Denormalsiation such as "smokers as employment liabilities," "smokers as health liabilities" "Smokers as arsonists"
"Smokers as (insert abuse)".

Anonymous said...

Pat Nurse
I am a local resident to the RUT College. I am not an anti-smoking zealot or trying to criminalise smokers. I couldn't give a toss if people smoke. What I am complaining about is the fact that this smoking ban has caused other problems for us and our properties - drugs, criminal damage, verbal abuse and intimidating behaviour, litter etc. We never had these problems before the smoking ban. That's why we are fighting for a reversal. I don't understand why students can't smoke in the grounds like they always used to. Is it because the Principal knows about the drugs and other issues, and wants to wash his hands of them?

Gawain Towler said...

Anon, quite

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