Thursday, February 15, 2007

News, news, news

Cupid at work

According to People Management Online one in five employees has married a colleague, and a further 43 per cent admitted to dating someone in their office at least once during their careers.

If you want love, now you know where to look for it.

Thousands to police smoking ban

The BBC reports this morning that thousands of council workers are being trained to police the smoking ban in bars, restaurants and shops in England, when it comes into force on 1st July. They will have the power to enter premises undercover, allowing them to sit among drinkers, and will even be able to photograph and film people. One council official from up north (Liverpool? Nottingham? I wasn't paying attention) declared on BBC News: People must understand "that smoking is an outdoor activity".

Ha, ha, like a sport then, said hubby.
You're laughing now mate, but Big Brother's coming to get you.

*My* conclusion is that clearly council workers haven't got enough work to do. And that the world's gone crazy. What with schoolkids being fingerprinted so that their parents can get reports of how many packets of crisps they ate each week, and smokers being followed around by council workers in case they light up inside a pub (shock horror), I'm starting to seriously doubt the mental stability of policy makers in this country.

10 comments:

Erica said...

Ahh!! I agree, this is crazy!! And not only because I smoke myself....I think it is very good that we will not be able to smoke anymore in public places like bars and restaurants, but also I think that they will find ways to get around it like in NY where they have heated open garden areas and smoking rooms where only the smokers are allowed in ect.
I am sure they will come up with all sorts of different ideas, at least I hope so. In the meantime I better get used to it!

just..living!!! said...

Well,i am a non-smoker person and i have to say that here in Greece the situation is really bad..

People who don't smoke have a really big problem.In restaurants,cafeterias and in public places not only we can not breath,but also there are some people that if you ask them politely not to smoke,they deny and the say "it is permitted".And it is true.They have a really small place for those who do not smoke.

Fortunately we have "Starbucks",my favorite place,where i can join my coffee but also my air..

Tinsie said...

Is Starbucks non-smoking then?

just..living!!! said...

Yes, Starbucks is a non smoking place..!!!

Only outside you can smoke..!!!(fortunately for me)

xxx

Gigi said...

I am an ex-smoker but I do think this policing thing is ridiculous. Will it be like school where they police the loos to make sure no-one's having a crafty drag in the cubicle? It's going to be hilarious! So much so, I'm almost tempted to start smoking again... :-)

Tinsie said...

Mmmm on second thought, I may look for a job as a council inspector of public houses. Given that in order to blend in you'll have to be drinking, this will be the only job in which you'll have to get sloshed to do it well ;-)
Can you imagine the adverts? "Wanted: non-smoker, must like drinking and spying on people" Suits me, sir!

Tinsie said...

@ just...living: I didn't know that about Starbucks! How did the ban go down with the chain-smoker Greeks?

Anonymous said...

Woohoo - I for one can't wait and I'd happily volunteer to spend some happy hours in the pub snapping crafty smokers who try to have a cheeky puff inside.
Bring on the ban coz I'm fed up of coming home smelling like a chimney and feeling terrible the next day (that's due to smoke, not alcohol).

just..living!!! said...

I do not know..!!!

The problem is that you can not go only at Starbucks, so you have to find other places...something really difficult..!!!

Anyway,hope for better "laws"..!!!

xxx

Tinsie said...

Worry not, it's on the cards. The whole of Europe is going non-smoking, slowly but surely. I was in Germany last December and some of the train stations were non-smoking, even though you could still smoke on trains.
Personally I don't see the point in stopping people from smoking in an open-air environment (such as a train station), but hey, what do I know?