Roadblocks set up to catch drivers smoking

Roadblocks set up to catch drivers smoking

www.telegraph.co.uk

Council wardens and Essex Police will carry out random inspections across the county to look for evidence of illicit cigarette use.

They will even hunt for cigarette butts in the ashtrays and smell the air inside the vehicles in order to clamp down on the outlawed practice.

Workers were banned from smoking in their company cars as part of the Health Act introduced in 2006.

The law made it illegal in all vehicles used primarily for business purposes by more than one person.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What da?

It sounds like the UK and the U.S. are in a race to see who can enact the highest number of mickey mouse, nonsensical laws to enforce and harass the civilians with.

Not bad enough there's CCTV cams on virtually every corner, but now folks are getting "cigarette checkpoints" and having their ash trays rummaged through?

Hitler's Gestapo goonsquad would be delighted with the way things seem to be progressing for Big Brother nowadays.

www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


As a smoker, I do find it disgusting to smoke in cars. I hate the smell. And if it's a company car, and the company doesn't want you smoking in it, it should be the companies job to discipline you, not the police. I don't understand the logic here.

I'm sorry, but if I go through a police roadblock and they say they are looking for cigarettes, I will just laugh and point him to the nearest convience store.
Passing laws must be a ton of fun because they do it all the time.

unreal

makes me glad I quit smoking 3 weeks ago (2 packs a day for 18 years)

between the new laws and the current price for smokes, it is almost impossible to enjoy.

i still miss the heck out of it

whoa! wait a minute, is this in THE USA? then they should shut down phillip morris and marlboro then..jsut another excuse to mess with the taxpayer and harras him/her. bet if it was an illegal alien, theyde turn thier heads, a non taxpaying thief* remember when seatbelts was the issue like 2 years ago? what a load and waste of taxpayers money. treat us like we still should be tucked itno bed by mommy n daddy.
im a smoker, would liek to quite! but arresting or issuing tickets for something that is perfectly legal..is ILLEGAL
wonder how much bribe money teh judges got for helping conjure of this scheme

I must admit, I never thought I would see these words stung together...illicit cigarette use. How long till it gets to the US?

ETA: Now that I think about it, I believe in NM selling a minor tobacco is consider "contributing to deliquency of a minor" which is a 4th degree felony. And they set up sting operations to nail these poor 8 dollar and hour employess and ruin their lives.

The police really should have better things to do with their time. I got pulled over once for flicking a fag but out the window. My crime against humaity was littering lmao.

While I completely disagree with this, hold up for a second. First, this is in the UK. Second, this is to catch people illegally smoking in company cars. Yes it's insane for the police to essentially be working as private security to enforce office regulations, but whatever. This isn't about smoking, it's about breaking company policy. If it's company policy not to smoke in company vehicles, you have to right to smoke in them.

the fact that the police are enforcing this is insanity. i'm sure there are more pressing matters in the UK than employees breaking rules. I mean, shouldn't they be out harassing tourists taking pictures and beating peaceful protesters with batons?

Isn't this the companies' responsibility to enforce these policies and procedures? Any excuse they can find to go through everyone's possessions and personal business & property, and it'll be in America very soon. We're just a British colony, we always get things after they've been tested out in the home territory.

I love when people say that everyone in Europe is more free than anyone in the US.

I've never got that. This doesn't surprise me, coming from the UK.

This is simply hilarious, i guess there needs to be something the officers need to do inorder to justify the price rise in almost every aspect of social and government interaction.

Way to go for social engineering and its total acceptance of what ever is transmitted.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective

What da?

It sounds like the UK and the U.S. are in a race to see who can enact the highest number of mickey mouse, nonsensical laws to enforce and harass the civilians with.

It is about time Congress and Parliament are required to do nothing but REPEAL stupid laws.

How about for the next five decades.

If the law just applies to company cars, or to cars that are primarily involved in company activities that carry more than 1 person, then how is this a police matter?
It seems to me the companies themselves should be handling it like any other violation of company rules or property.

There has to be more to this than this doesn't there? It just doesn't make sense. unless I'm reading something wrong here.

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


I Agree pal, the idiots that are pushing this, are ready for the rubber room. In 2006 i was fined £50 for throwing a tab out of my car window in the car park, they clocked my plates, that was an expensive fag.

Someone needs to roll up with a couple of guys smoking some fat cigars and a camera rolling.

forgive my ignorance of this...but is it illegal to smoke in ALL company cars, or is it just for companies that decide to ban tobacco?

If it's the latter, then how do they know which companies have banned them and which ones haven't?

What if YOU own the company and drive a company car? Is it still illegal?

If the company does not want you to smoke in their vehicles, then you should not smoke in vehicles. But the companies should be policing this policy themselves, and not wasting tax payer money by using Police. What's next? No farting in the company van?

It just seems to me that lately the U.K and U.S governments are just pushing the people to a scenario in which they want. Which would be protests, which would turn into riots, which would turn into a NWO.

.....btw, quitting smoking is for quitters! I am not a quitter!

I've always said 'it will be a COLD day in hell when the governemnt can tell me that I cannot smoke in my own vehicle!' .... Well I'm in Canada so I guess this is not affecting me .... yet. If this was my country I guess I would be a law breaker!

Government is going for a complete and total control over everyone! Pretty soon you'll have cameras in your house watching you and your families daily activities!

It's 1984 ppl!

Peace & Respect,

AS

reply to post by BadBoYeed


Hey, keep it up you'll be glad. I quite for 11 years this August after smoking for 27 years. It's worth it, trust me.

Originally posted by webpirate
If the law just applies to company cars, or to cars that are primarily involved in company activities that carry more than 1 person, then how is this a police matter?
It seems to me the companies themselves should be handling it like any other violation of company rules or property.

There has to be more to this than this doesn't there? It just doesn't make sense. unless I'm reading something wrong here.

me thinks so too. maybe it's a scam to generate revenues? after all, can't the boss of a company do exactly the same thing the cops do? simply by placing their grubby little heads inside the car and taking a whiff. seems they don't have the time or money to do such a simple thing, so they give it to the Police, who in turn fine the offenders and rake up the money.