Smoking Ban

With me, it's always the right room for an argument.

Although I did have this master plan that I wasn't going to do that with the business persona. Oops.

Its not an argument when you are making valid points! Its a discussion, and it was taken as a discussion, dont fret! Your business persona is still intake!

I think overall some good valid points made, from probably both sides.

Im on the side, i will spend 65 years doing what i like, smoking, drinking, eating all thats wrong, red meat, take aways, i enjoy a drink most nights at home, you get the jist.

instead on eating 5 a day, only 2 drinks aday, drink plenty water and all that to save 5 years later in life.

i would rather enjoy 65 years of life, doing what i want, that live to 70 years giving me 5 years of doing what im told or what i should eat. im happy to loose those 5 years. because to be honest, im enjoying life.

sean

some really good points here - i would never inforce anything on anyone, i believe in freedom of speech and the ability to do as you wish as long as it doesnt affect others and as long as you dont blow smoke in my face then you guys carry on filling your lungs with tar

The only point which really wasnt picked up in my original post was i dont see the difference between smoking in a car or using a mobile phone to make a call, i agree texting is different.

Does anyone have any viewes on this?

I think there is a difference.

First, you hold a cigarette between two fingers, you are still able to grip the steering wheel or the gearstick every time you need to using your other fingers, your palm and your thumb. Your hand isn't "full" in the way that it is when you are holding a mobile phone.

Second, although you do lift your hand to your face to take a drag, this is only for two seconds at a time and you can choose when to do it. You don't, for instance, start taking a drag *as* you pull out of an intersection, or at the precise moment you need to change gear. Whereas if you come up to a roundabout mid-conversation, very few people will stop their conversations. I've seen so many drivers trying to wedge the phone between shoulder and ear while needing one hand to steer and the other to change gear. It doesn't tend to end well.

Nothing, however, is going to beat the person I saw a couple of years ago on the A14 who had an open book of crosswords propped open on the wheel and a pen in her hand. Admittedly the A14 is a hideously boring road, but seriously!

Fair points Mary but .....

Ive smoked in a car and dropped the lite cig - hmm thats not fun doing 70+mph on the motorway - you are just as distracted when lighting up, extinguishing or in Steves case trying to throw it out the window only to have the damn thing come back at you & set fire to the rear seat!

The second you take you hand off the wheel allbeit to take a drag can be deemed as dangerous, you are now not in full control of that car in the eyes of the Law, dont agree with it but thats it. That can be said though for changing the cd or tuning the radio, all require your hands off the wheel - any different to taking a call?

They do say women are better at multitasking

Mind you, in my potless truckdriving days, got quite talented in the ways of rolling a fag single handed whilst trundling up and down the M6. Making a cup of coffee used to get more adventorous, as the kettle was in the sleeper cab

Granted on the aspect of there being a small portable bit of fire in the car. That does add an extra element of risk and, if it goes to the wrong place (like the back seat) a whole new range of issues. Weirdly, I think a lot of those issues are exacerbated by having the windows open to let the smoke disperse - as a kid both my parents smoked with the car windows shut and stubbed the ends in the ashtray, I don't ever recall glowing ends going anywhere they shouldn't have.

But I still can't equate smoking a cigarette to taking/making a phone call without a handsfree set.

Time to light cigarette: 2 seconds and you choose when you do it.
Time to take a drag: 2 seconds and you choose when you do it.
Time to change radio station: 2 seconds and you choose when you do it.
Time to scratch nose: 2 seconds and you choose when you do it.

Time to take phone call: never had a phone call take less than twenty seconds and usually it's several minutes. And in the case of accepting phone calls, you don't get to choose when you do it - there's no "I'll just get round this roundabout and then it's a nice clear run and I can (whatever)," or "heigh-ho, red light, while I'm stopped I'll (whatever)." The phone rings and you try to answer it.

Taking a call on handsfree is different again, that's just the same as a passenger in the car talking to you.

My view on the smoking in cars, and mobile phones. Is that on a mobile phone, its a 2 way interaction, when you talk its fine, talking and driving is no problem. But when the other speaks on the phone, your conentration is then focused on them, listening to what they say, thats the part that makes talking on mobiles dangerous.

I would suggest if your an honest person, and have talked on a mobile phone while driving, that you would not remeber much about the stretch of road you just drove along.
I have had that feeling, hung up the phone and cant remember driving the last mile on the phone.
that does not happen when i have a smoke. or when i take my eyes of the road to check rear view mirror every 10 seconds, or wing mirrors. or look over my shoulder or turn radio up,

is turning radio up or station so bad. as said, you fiddle with buttons.
so what do i do when it rains, your windows mist up, or gets dark. or i want to make a turn, or it gets foggy do you keep driving or fiddle with buttons.

sean

ive got auto wipers & lights on my car