Fury as airport ban goes up in smoke (repeated Irish airport evacuations due to smoking US troops)

Irish Independent ^ | 4/30/04 | Pat Flynn

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Aer Rianta accused of double standards after lucrative US military flout law

SHANNON airport had to be evacuated because US troops set off alarms by flouting the smoking ban.

Angry workers have claimed that Aer Rianta is being soft on the offenders because it is afraid of losing lucrative US military contracts.

In recent weeks, the airport's automated fire alarm system has been activated several times resulting in fire crews and security personnel rushing to investigate the source of the emergency.

On at least six occasions US soldiers have been found packed into airport toilets claiming to be unaware of the smoking ban.

After one recent fire alarm activation, the airport was evacuated when fire crews failed to locate the source of the emergency within the 10 minutes allowed before an automatic evacuation procedure is initiated.

All the activations have occurred in the same area of the terminal building where troops are segregated from the travelling public.

Airport workers angry at the blatant flouting of the smoking regulations have only spoken out because the ban has been hugely successful with the public and workers.

"There has been no smoking in any of the work areas and I am not aware of anyone having broken the ban in the restaurant or bars," one airport employee said.

"The troops should not be treated any differently to the rest of us," he added.

Aer Rianta has declined to confirm or deny that the smoking ban is constantly being breached at Shannon and has refused to answer a list of questions put to the company regarding reported infringements.

A company spokesperson would only say: "Aer Rianta complies fully with the smoking legislation and will continue ensure that the smoking ban applies to all passengers, members of the public and staff members."

But airport sources say a big factor is the fear that lucrative US military business could be in jeopardy as a result of the smoking ban.

Frankfurt airport has already been mentioned as one possible alternative to Shannon as thousands of US troops already use the airport, which does not have the same smoking restrictions.

When asked whether any airline carrying US troops through Shannon has made representations to airport management about the smoking issue, Aer Rianta said: "No."

The number of US troops going through Shannon airport has increased dramatically since the start of the year. Last year, 126,000 American soldiers passed through Shannon, earning Aer Rianta €15.5m from US military.

[Semper Paratus]

Tell 'em to "sod off' and transit our troops through Gatwick UK instead.

[Alberta's Child]

Angry workers have claimed that Aer Rianta is being soft on the offenders because it is afraid of losing lucrative US military contracts.

Note to angry workers: The customer is always right.

[William Terrell]

It's been my observation that there's a number of people that don't like the smell of tobacco smoke, even though they produce offensive smells themselves, albeit out of the other end.

The junk research behind "secondhand smoke" was a godsend to these "oughta be a law" folks, and they heavily rely on it, ignoring the numerous studies that refute it.

This madness is not confined to one country or another anymore; it's become a worldwide problem.

[Born Conservative]

"There has been no smoking in any of the work areas and I am not aware of anyone having broken the ban in the restaurant or bars," one airport employee said.

Yea, right!

[KarlInOhio]

Note to angry workers: The customer is always right.

Especially well armed customers.

[sarasota]

I've never seen as much smoke in my life as I saw in Ireland. Pubs, at the movies, shops of all kinds. Guess things have changed.

[Just another Joe]

Irish PUFF

[VRWC_minion]

Why not give the troops a smoking area. End of problem.

BTW, what does it mean they "get off easy". Do you think the average troop is going to worry about paying a ticket to a foreign govt ?

[dead]

Do you think the average troop is going to worry about paying a ticket to a foreign govt ?

LOL! How fast would that ticket be tossed in the garbage?

I agree, give them a smoking room. And then give the Irish passengers a smoking room as well.

The foreign press just loves to make an inferno out a puff of cigarette smoke.

[VRWC_minion]

And then give the Irish passengers a smoking room as well.

I suspect there is more to the article than smoking. I suspect this has more to do with anti-war sentiment than smoking.

However, if the Irish want a non-smoking terminal thats there business. They can leave to smoke.

The problem is they have no practical way to enforce the laws to foreign troops there temporarily. I further suspect that the troops are required to remain in that area and they are not subject to normal customs clearance etc, and therefore don't have the option of leaving the terminal like smoking residents would.

[maica]

When our hospital was built, sensors were put in every bathroom. For a few years, visitors or patients regularly set off the alarms when they tried to sneak a cigarette. Eventually, everyone coming into the hospital learned that a cigarette could not be smoked without detection.

At the same time, on the unit where high-risk mothers-to-be were hospitalized, a special room for smokers had to be built, to accomodate addicts who could not get to an outdoor location for their cigarette.

It was comically pathetic to see women, hospitalized because of potential danger to their baby, often attached to an IV drip, perched in a room (glass-fronted, smoke proof - as full of smoke as the back room of an unventilated laundry), puffing away.


I certainly think that if Shannon wants to keep this Air Rianta contract, they can provide a special room for our troops.

[nothingnew]

Puff.

FMCDH

[Incorrigible]

This news over there HappyGal?

[Knute]

Just returned on the 28th (via Shannon) following a lovely vacation in Ireland. I am against government intrusion into the decisions of a business to allow or disallow smoking, but I must say, the times we had in the SMOKE FREE pubs and restaurants were refreshing. The music and the Guinness seemed that much more wholesome without the tobacco smoke negating the aroma of the peat fires.
We saw no overt violations of the law. The sidewalks in front of the establishments had smokers gathered, but nothing inside at all.

[sarasota]

I attend a trade show every year in which the Irish have the largest booth in the hall, two stories high. I've heard they continue to smoke in the upper floor. "The Irish without cigarettes?", one of them told me. Their headquarters are not far from Shannon airport.

[SheLion]

[SheLion]

a special room for smokers had to be built, to accomodate addicts

Addicts!

[Madame Dufarge]

"many smokers and non-smokers alike believe that, far from getting better, the atmosphere — in terms of the traditional Irish craic — is the one thing that has got worse. In the town of Muff, two miles from the border with Northern Ireland, Willy Harkin and other smokers in the Squealin’ Pig Tavern believe that something special has vanished since the ban came into force. “This is one of the best-known pubs in Ireland,” says Harkin, “but the atmosphere has been destroyed. There have been times when we’ve all been outside smoking and the non-smokers have come out and joined us because they want to follow the craic. Sometimes we stand out there for up to 40 minutes.”

Ireland smoking ban: No fags, no fug, no fun?

[MeekOneGOP]