Lunacy, Absolute Lunacy.
 

Quote:

“A painter and decorator from Ceredigion says he is "dumbfounded" after being slapped with a £30 fine for smoking a cigarette in his own van.”

There he was sat in his van having a fag when some “jobsworth” clown comes up and slaps a fixed penalty on him for smoking in his workplace.

Can someone explain to me how a van can be called a workplace? Was he painting the van or slapping wallpaper on the inside? No he was having a break from work.

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Its crazy, going off that it would mean that I could get done for having a fag in my fellas van because he uses it for work and it is signwritten at the mo, its stupid

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If it is a work van you are not allowed to smoke in it!

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Would have thought it be slightly different if you are self emplyed and it is your recreational vehical but also used for work

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Yep work vehicles are non smoking areas as they are classed as workplaces.

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Am guessing that would mean though the vehicle would have to be registered to the business and not to the person?

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Unfortunately - the Labour party dont understand common sense and seek to control every element of your life through over bearing regulation. Im all for laws that are three for a good reason though im affraid now that well known catch-phrase for the labour party has morphed into "regulation, regulation, regulation!"

Re: Lunacy, Absolute Lunacy.
 

Was a bit more complicated than this. He stated that he had not even started work, and had just popped out for some teabags.

Also, the car was not registered as a business vehicle, only private, and the Insurance Certificate is what the Welsh courts wish to see. Mind you, if he is off-setting the van against tax is a different matter.

He has paid the fine ('cos would have increased to £50 within a couple of weeks if not paid), but is obviously appealing against it.

He was with another self-employed painter/decorator too... a 16 year old who himself was smoking.

Even the 'experts' interviewed were a little unclear as the exact law on this ... and was Wales, which could make a difference.

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I think the point is being missed here, there is nobody more anti smoking than me, but its like JB said some jobsworth getting his rocks of. On the whole the smoking ban is a good thing, from my point of veiw, but its taken to far in a lot of cases. I live in a block of 4 flats, if I wanted I could smoke in my home, but if I went to my front door and stood in the lobby I would be breaking the law, and HH have put notices up stating as much:(

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The decorator will have got a ticket because he had a mate with him, if the van is used by more than one person, you cannot smoke in it at any time, whether the other person is a smoker or not, if you are the sole user of the van, you can smoke in it, I smoke and the staff are both smokers and non smokers, we have one vehicle that is no smoking! And that is how the law allows us to operate! The warden was over zealous, it is stupid that if you both smoke, you cant smoke because another smoker uses the van, common sense should apply, but why let that get in the way of commission? If they are going to be so pedantic, better move all the smoking areas from pubs to 15 metres from the entrance, as the law states!

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An even bigger farce is that it appears to be a postcode fine system. a bloke from Accrington was fined £50 for it the other week.

Pendle Borough Council - Accrington man fined for smoking in company van

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I take it this also applies to delivery parcel vans too?
If so, then why do i sometimes get parcels stinking of fags?....I think though that not been able to have a fag in your van is daft, ya dont work in it, the public dont use it, so whats the problem, all this no smoking malarkey is getting stupid!, its just another way for the goverent to rob us blind:(

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Another thing Derekgas .... have asked a couple of workmen recently (who did actually smoke), like the decorator, and asked if the householder would be allowed to smoke whilst he was in their house .. as this would become a place of work. They didn't appear to know, said did usually go out to their van to have a fag if the householder would not let them obviously, but you go into private property, so just wondered if you came to fix my boiler, could you ask me to refrain ? ... like the social workers who may call.

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Social workers smoking kate:eek:heaven forbid:D

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No, ya' daft bat ... just that when they call, you are supposed not too have smoked for at least ? hours before they arrive.

Just wondered if this would apply to any workmen that would be entering your home too ?

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When HH were in (well the contractors anyway) doing my kitchen and bathroom the letter received asked that the resident did not smoke whilst the workers were on the property, I did :rolleyes: but never received the initial pack which stated this so I wasnt in the know until i received one shortly before the work had been finished, none of the workers complained though (although I did then and still do now smoke out an open window)

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ok ... let me get this straight: the world is going to hell in a hand basket, your economy is about to take a massive dump, racial tension seems to be on the increase, violent crime on its way up, you have a govt. which is more unpopular than piles, cost of living going up, you are involved in two overseas conflicts, you have a lousy football team and the authorities can find the time to hand out bs tickets like this .... gimme a break!:eek:

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:eek:....If it was my house, id answer the door with a fag in my gob!!, no one has the right to tell you when you can or cant have a fag especially in your own home....now that is utter lunacy:(

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I’m not sure of the validity of this but it has been stated that if you are a smoker and you get a visit from a tradesman or official, you are supposed to refrain from smoking in your home three hours before the other person arrives.

It was also suggested, again without any verification, that whilst your home becomes a place of work no one is allowed to smoke anywhere in the house not just where the work is taking place. If you did then in theory the non smoking workman could phone the anti-smoking police and get them to come round and issue you with a fixed penalty notice.

Winston Smith how did you cope?

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I wonder if it had been a convertible car with its roof down how it would have stood ?

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We could (but wouldnt) ask you not to smoke, council tenants are told not to smoke in thier homes for an hour at least before a workman is due, if the workman isnt happy, he can refuse the work, if I asked a householder not to smoke, most of my customers would refrain, but new customers might take umbrage and use another company! So we wouldnt ask.

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I have to admit I had to google the last two .... and however bad the cricket team and the rugby team are they can't hold a candle to the pathetic Toronto Maple Leafs or the moulting Blue Jays.:( The Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, the year I came to Cananda (and, no, I'm not accepting any blame for that), the year after England last won the World Cup.:eek:

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Exactly the same I think, Pam.

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I first started thinking the world had gone mad more than 30 years ago and every day I know it's gone a little bit madder.

Smoking is not illegal, in theory, but smoking in just about any place is banned. It makes no sense. They should either make tobacco an illegal substance and stop all smoking or they should repeal some of these ridiculous restrictions - but they won't.

They won't criminalise tobacco because the revenue obtained from duty on cigarettes is £millions per year and, of course, you can't tax something that's not legitimate. Now they also have all the extra revenue from on the spot fines for smoking transgressions. I'm glad I gave up, just to spite them. ;)

Smoking seems to be second only to motoring as the government money-spinner. I wonder what will be next?

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Possibly sex ... but probably breathing;)

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Rubbish..you are really turning it out.. nowt wrong wiv booze..

YouTube - Dr Feelgood - Milk & Alcohol

Well jambutty you talk the liberties for smokers but don't have the same regard for booze....not one of "us" afterall!

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The only rubbish is your post Mancie.

There is plenty wrong with booze. Anything that interferes with clear thought cannot be good and that is what booze does.

Hundreds of innocent people are killed on the roads each year because of alcohol influenced drivers. Tens of thousands of wives, girl friends and children are physically abused because of alcohol. How many tobacco users kill others on the roads? How many tobacco users physically abuse wives, girl friends and children? I’m sure that there must be some recorded cases somewhere, but I have never heard of one.

Nowhere have I ever stated that booze should be banned. I have, however, stated that the sale of alcohol and consumption should be more rigorously controlled.

And it is a fact that alcohol related accidents and injuries cost the NHS a fortune, more so nowadays than tobacco ever did.

When was the last time that you heard of a smoker abusing a nurse at A & E? Compare that to the last time that a nurse was harangued or even attacked by a drunken slob. What about yesterday late evening? Ask any nurse and you will be told that abuse from drunks is out of hand.

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All good points I have to say!

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Good point Jambutty.
Smokers are vilified daily,all our rights are taken away yet you don't hear the goverment planning a ban on booze anytime soon when alcohol causes so many more problems in all aspects of life.

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Rubbish.... the stuff about alcohol.. you ******* get stick for smoking .. which leads to lung cancer..so you switch the blade to booze.. mind your own business ... Facist niegbourhood watch tosspots...ah! but you lot reckon you are the fat faces of freedom.. get to !

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Is that the best that you can do? Descend into name calling rather than making a coherent point on the topic.

I suspect that if you, me and all the other contributors to this thread were sat round a table having this discussion orally, you would be the one on his feet, leaning over the table, banging your fist on it and shouting at the rest of us.

Sad! Very, very sad!:(

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Its bull crap! Also, if you had a plumber come round to your house you wouldnt be allowed to smoke in your own property cos thats his work place. RUBBISH, THATS MY HOUSE!!!

Lets all give Mr Brown a slap!

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Oh, btw...WHY doesnt Alcohol ( I.e, Beer Cans ) Have health Warnings on them like Fags do? Because in retrospect they kill more people a year than Cigarettes.

Hmmmm...i think i just raised a good point. YAY ME!!!

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Yeah you raised a very good point.
Alcohol not only kills more people than cigarettes but causes so many more problems.

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It’s good to have a point reinforced but that point has been mentioned many times.

However there are moves afoot to put warnings on all bottles/cans of booze but only as a voluntary measure by the alcohol industry. It’s a start I guess but then some of the printing would have to be quite large for a drunk to be able to read it.

But the alcohol industry has a very powerful lobby in Parliament, which is why it is voluntary.

If this or any government were really serious about alcohol abuse it would bring in laws to ban all forms of advertising except at point of sale. It would ban sponsorship of sports too. But then the sports lobby would get to work too.

This is not the time to hold your breath.

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especially if your a smoker.......... (thats if you can :p lol)