OllyK

If it doesn't damage it, no, why should I?

I'd rather we sort out murder, burglary, rape etc before we get all hung up on people smoking in their own car. If the police are prosecuting people for smoking, they aren't prosecuting the more seriosu crimes.

Actually most new cars don't have ashtrays or cigarette lighters as standard, they just have a 12V "utility" socket with no lighter.

OllyK

On the "you could drive better basis" you could remove about 99% of the drivers on the road.

c_maguire

The original point was regarding smoking in cars. I have never smoked but because I work as a service engineer my daily driver is classed as a workspace and therefore technically requires a sticker in the window to designate it as a no smoking zone (subject to £1000 fine I believe, and that's just for not displaying the sticker). I threw my sticker in the trash because to me this kind of law just defies common sense. Nobody has smoked in my vehicle since I've been driving it and anybody who tries will be told to think again. In taxis etc I can see the sense in this, but if I choose to smoke in my van, or two BT blokes are sat together in their cab and fancy a puff then who gives a damn? As a ban specifically aimed at vehicles with children under 16yo is probably unenforceable, if the ban comes it will probably be a blanket ban which let's face it would be par for the course in our supposedly free society wouldn't it?
The second point that has surfaced is regarding smokers' consideration towards others. On that, I've always found a high proportion of smokers to be selfish, ignorant and inconsiderate. Littering is illegal (as it should be) but smokers seem to think *** butts are somehow not classed as litter and will happily chuck them anywhere. On a number of occassions I've witnessed smokers emptying their ashtrays on the road whilst sat at traffic lights, although I suppose they should be commended for even using the ashtray in the first place as most don't. I see numerous dog ends chucked out of moving vehicles every day, some of which have stuck in the front of my vehicle, sat smoldering under the window wiper, or bounced off my helmet/clothes when I've been riding. Just recently I followed one guy who unwrapped his **** whilst in the outside lane on the M11 and then proceeded to chuck the sellophane out of the sunroof (I took this guy's number and grassed him up to the coppers).
As the anti-smoking crusade builds up an ever increasing head of steam, perhap smokers should consider how their actions often create a dislike of them in the eyes of others, rather than smoking per se.
Kevin

Brooksy40

Sooner this sad govt of leftie muppets are out the better - The nanny states verging on ****. As for this crap i'll just tint out my windows .....My cars my place and i'll do what i like

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

And oh boy, aren't you just one of them

lozgti

To all those who don't smoke.....

Something you enjoy/take pleasure from/do will be affected soon by these 'ban everything' people.Whoever the heck they are!

Lee247

Why don't these people concentrate on getting this ruined Country back to what it was, instead of trying to tell it's "inmates" (because that's what it is beginning to feel like) what the hell to do all the time.

EddScott

I am classed as a smoker but a pack of 20 usually lasts me well over a week unless I go out and I can go through 20 in a few hours

There is the issue that if everyone stopped smoking, the NHS would actually be out of pocket by about £2bn.

wiley

iTrader: (63)

i smoke in my car and don't really see anything wrong with it, only thing i don't like is when people flick their butts out and it almosts hits my car

wiley

scoobynutta555

If someone gobbed in your face that'd cause no damage so why would it bother you?

At the very least it's littering. Someone has already said on this thread the practice has cost them in damages.
I want all serious crime dealt with properly too. That's not carte blanche for littering and unthoughtfulness towards other road users though. I'd say there already is legislation in place for flicking lit **** from a moving car and no need for more. As I've said already I'm not for or against smoking in cars per se.


I've not had a new car since Subaru stopped making cars I've wanted (2001) so I wouldn't know if this is the norm. No excuse for cars with trays in them though as it's been going on since cars were invented.

scoobynutta555

Also, not more than 2 weeks ago some thoughtful sole emptied their presumably brimmed ashtray at the end of my drive.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Plus the govt would be out of pocket billions from the loss of duty, which in the current climate would be a diaster, so best they encourage us to smoke more tabs

Lee247

PeteBrant

Indeed,

At the last count, IIRC smoking raises £7bn in tax, and costs the NHS £1.5Bn

Leslie

Don't forget to check the laws with regard to tinting car windows though!

Les

OllyK

There's the risk of communicable disease from that, plus spit leaves a something behind that needs dealing with. Compare apples with apples. A *** but hitting your car is about the equivalent of a couple of falling leaves hitting you car and blowing off.

Littering wasn't the issue I was dicussing.

I keep hearing about people on motorcycles or in cars getting hit by *** butts and I just don't get it. It's never happened to me, I drive an open top car, never had a butt come in.

A butt dropped while moving or stationary will hit the ground in the same amount of time. With acceleration due to gravity being 9m/s/s give or take, a butt is going to hit the floor in under a second from even the highest truck cab. If your maintaining the safe 2 second gap between you and the vehicle in front, how the hell are you getting hit by *** butts?

We certainly don't need more legislation, the police can't police what we already have. They have limited resources and in the scheme of things I'd rather they were tackling serious crime rather than worrying about the odd *** butt.

And for the ones that don't?

scoobynutta555

Butts aren't just dropped they're flicked too, and as earlier, mostly above the roofline of a car. You might not even be behind the car/lorry to get hit. I haven't advocated new legislation. It's a facile point to say you'd rather police worry about 'serious crime'. Some of the best policed areas have zero tolerence policies on all crimes. Car drivers/passengers should dispose of their refuse in the proper way or shouldn't smoke in the first place if there's no tray present.

Yet again, even though it's not a serious crime, I'll say at the very least it's littering and inconsiderate to others.

s1lko

Speaking as an ex-smoker, I know how much of a difference a smoke can make when you're heading home from work.

I'm anti-smoking now, but purely for personal reasons and only on a personal level. But I don't think my point of view should take away other people's freedom. If they want to smoke in their cars, let them - as long as I'm not breathing it in. They're taxed enough for the pleasure.

Besides, can you imagine the rise in road rage incidents if people couldn't smoke during rush hour?

My gripe, though, is with those who struggle to light their cigarette and drive at the same time - too many near misses for my liking. For most smokers, this isn't a problem, but if you find it difficult, please just pull over or use the car's lighter.

One question to throw out there: If smoking had never been legal in the first place, what would the chances be of legalising it? Slim, I reckon. But the government still happily hide behind the rights of smokers to justify a license to print cash.

Just a thought...

OllyK

Must be a lot of to**ers in your neck of the woods then as I've never encountered it in over 20 years of driving.

scoobynutta555

You've never encountered what? Seeing it done or being hit? I drive all over the country.

OllyK

Being hit.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

because when the ashtray gets full, I have no choice