The ban on smoking in public places came into force in July this year
Posted on 10/15/2007 1:51:46 AM PDT by Stoat
The ban on smoking in public places came into force in July this year
It wasn't exactly the dramatic finale one cricket fan was expecting.
Having installed himself in his local pub to watch England play India, John Vaughan was enraged when the channel was switched over to football just as the cricket was reaching its thrilling conclusion.
So Mr Vaughan lit up a cigarette in protest. When he refused to extinguish it, staff pressed a panic button behind the bar.
And a few minutes later six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub.
Mr Vaughan had been watching the one-day international at the Copper Pot pub in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, last month.
The game was about to finish when the channel was switched to the England versus Israel Euro 2008 football qualifier.
Mr Vaughan said yesterday: "The cricket only had ten minutes left, but the football wasn't even going to start for another 45 minutes.
"We complained but nothing happened. So I decided to light up out of protest.
"Staff told me I couldn't smoke, but I said I'd had enough of being pushed around by the Government.
"They pressed a panic button and the next thing I knew, there were six policemen in the pub and two outside."
No action was taken against demolition boss Mr Vaughan after he agreed to leave.
There was a big cheer round the pub from about 60 people, added Mr Vaughan, "and even the police found it quite amusing."
Warwickshire Police confirmed officers had been sent to the pub on September 8 following reports of a man "smoking and being aggressive".
A spokesman said: "They explained why he should not be smoking, asked him to leave and he did so happily."
six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub
...I presume unarmed. That guy will have a story to tell for the rest of his life.
my subsequent point is that smoking was a red herring in this article. see post #5.
One can go back to a picture of the late George Orwell. He did smoke the "shag" tobacco and admitted he should have cut back on that.
England needs another Eric Blair (George Orwell). It is getting worse. Between 1794 and 1840 the starving English working class and farm labouring class revolted. They had Australia to ship them off to.
Today that class have their backs to the wall.
Christ on a stick .... Hitler won.
I agree that the real issue is government CONTROL,not some good hearted crusade to protect innocent smokers.
Yet the smoker himself is a dman fool for slowly commiting suicide by inhaling that obnoxious poison.Why not just put a gun to his head and get it over with quickly?
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
CS Lewis
Ohio has a smoking Ban too. But as a Southerner, I am proud of the rebellious nature of the folks of Ohio.
The bars I go to give you a water cup to use as an ashtray. Sometimes the cops even come into the bars and they could care less about this stupid law.
The following quote from Andrew Jackson certainly does apply....”They made their law, now let’s see them enforce it...”
Apparently you don't get it...the smoking ban is NOT the bar owner's rule. It's the Gubmint's rule enacted by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue and physically enforced by the Gestapo.
Your parody is perfect in every note. Totalitarians often try to infantilize those they seek to rule. People who can no longer confidently think or act for themselves live in fear of others who do, and welcome the smothering embrace of Big Brother or Big Nanny. In this respect, our own public schools appear to be paving the way for the dictators of tomorrow.
BS, I say, BS.
The entire effort to eliminate smoking is so that SOME people who don't like the smell of tobacco smoke will never have to smell it no matter WHERE they go.
LOLOL!
Purchased today; thank you very kindly for what is obviously an excellent recommendation. Best wishes to you and yours :-)
Thanks. Look, I’m no poster boy for the defense of smoker’s rights, but let’s keep things in perspective. A buzzer tied in to the police in case someone smokes? Have we as a race of people completely lost our minds?
Inside in public places, okay perhaps that’s warranted. Swat teams no. Emergency buzzers, hell no. Outside, in your own car or at home, go fly a kyte.
Priorities folks. “Hello, is this 911? All our circuits are busy, please remain on the line and your call will be taken in the order in which it was received. Approximate wait time is 17 minutes.” Meanwhile at the police station, “Hey, the buzzer for Mel’s Diner is going off, let’s roll...”
This must be satire...
Things have gone past way too far, while western governments play softball with terrorists from TROP..
I hear ya.
Anyone that is concerned about the excesses of Big Government control ought to see Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". It is wicked satire and hysterically funny. And getting more real all the time.... :-(
“It’s a private establishment.”
Then why is it called a “pub”?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.