Another One Bites The Dust [ash]

[The Voice of Reason]

Regarding compromise. There actually is such a thing as a considerate smoker capable of at least a modicum of compromise but they are far, far outweighed by the selfish thoughtless dick heads.

 

No they're not!! Anyway any selfless thoughtless dickheads could have had compromise forced upon them - separate rooms, separate pubs etc. Anyway too late now - the battle has been lost but as Albert says there may well be undesirable consequences.

[Pat Ayres]

What's the problem, old men to stupid to enjoy a home life unable to indulge in their habit because a sweaty, smelly business designed to allow adults to throw overpriced water down their throats to the detriment of all that have to listen to their philosophies on life the universe and everything spoken in a kind of drunken spewy dialect, are going to take their business elsewhere and make these places pleasent and manageable. This is a problem. I call it a breath of fresh air and about time piss heads and dead brained beer drinkers were shown the door and forced to spend some time with their families. Most pubs these days have at least one tv turned on and showing bloody football at ear splitting volume. If the poor souls aren't allowed to smoke and watch 22 overpaid ponces kick a ball about at the same time them maybe they should stay at home drinking shoprite lager and smoking the equivelent of an hours wages twice a day. ASt least the kids might recognise them in the street.

Fucking smokers, should have been banned from walking in the street years ago. What makes them sop bloody special we all have to put up with the stench they carry about with them?

[ans]

This thread was about the hospital - but the fact that you seem to like to rub all this in, says a great deal more about you and your attitude to others like me, more than anything else IMO. Despite you trying to get me to bite - I am not entering into the smoking debate again - and am spending my time and effort in preparing for it. In the meantime many people have argued throughout for compromise and got nowhere.

 

Meanwhile, from April next year: regardless of whether it is raining I shall probably be enjoying myself playing poker with a bunch of mates in my newly decorated bar-dining room - whilst you witness the slow and painful decline and closure of around 20 island pubs - and everyone going outside (if the weathers good and if they can) and most smokers simply staying at home if its windy/raining. We plan to do our poker nights at alternative houses alternate weeks and are already geared up for this - which will probably take away £200 a week from pubs and save us a fortune through buying from the supermarket etc.

 

Having witnessed first hand the ban come-in in my 'local' when I was working across earlier this year - I saw what actually happened - with no sign of the raft of non-smokers who were expected to turn out after the ban - and now Mondays to Wednesdays most of the smaller pubs may as well close. Rainy/windy days - the punters halved from what used to turn up. With few pubs with outside facilities on the island, and England (and all of the national squads) out of of Euro 2008, it's going to be a very painful 2008 for most landlords on the island IMO. Dublin has the facilities - we do not - and few Douglas town pubs are in a position to be able to offer any outside facilities even if they wanted to.

 

Here, my money is on the Saddle closing first, possibly followed by the Clarendon and the Traf - the Bridge and the British becoming nothing but glorified restaurants, and nightclubs really suffering. Most retail businesses operate on a 10-20% profit margin, and with up to 20% of their custom staying away in the UK, or relying on the weather to plan an afternoon/night out, this will make life very difficult for many here where there are fewer facilities - but a great time to open an off-licence.

 

I don't drink in Ramsey - so I don't know how it will be affected - but I guarantee that it will be.

 

Good thing you're not entering into the smoking debate again eh? I dread to think how long your post would be if you weren't.

[TerryMcCann]

Here, my money is on the Saddle closing first, possibly followed by the Clarendon and the Traf - the Bridge and the British becoming nothing but glorified restaurants, and nightclubs really suffering. Most retail businesses operate on a 10-20% profit margin, and with up to 20% of their custom staying away in the UK, or relying on the weather to plan an afternoon/night out, this will make life very difficult for many here where there are fewer facilities - but a great time to open an off-licence.

 

I think the fact that the brewery have purchased all the spar shops on the Island shows how they expect their pub trade to go

[Mutley]

Who cares if a few pubs close? Most of them are overpriced, poor service, shitholes. Most of the pubs on the island need a kick in the arse anyway. Perhaps a good side effect will be that we might get better pubs. I care not a jot if the brewery doesn't make as much profit as it normally does.

[WilDDog]

I think the fact that the brewery have purchased all the spar shops on the Island shows how they expect their pub trade to go

 

And those shops won't last long if they start charging over inflated prices for a couple of cans of carling.

[ourtess]

I don't smoke.

In England many of my friends do.

They go outside to smoke and chat with the other smokers, leaving me sat by myself.

I am thinking of taking up smoking to join in.

[grant]

Wait for the summer, all the non smokers will be moaning about all the smokers sat outside the pubs.

[Saltire]

Here in Scotland the smoking ban has been in a while, and as a non smoker I'm in favour of it. I can now go home from the pub without stinging eyes and smoky clothes. I'm not one of these folk that would tut tut on someone lighting up, and believe people should have the freedom to smoke. All I know from my point of view is going out for a drink is a more comfortable experience.

 

Before the ban there was the usual doom mongering from smokers about how many pubs would shut, no one would go out anymore blah blah blah.

 

In my town, no pubs have shut. The pubs are as busy as ever. No smokers I know have stopped going out. In fact some of them are even inspired to quit, the ones that aren't just go outside for a ciggie.

 

It's just become part of normal life, regardless of anyones opinions about whether the ban was right/wrong or whether separate smoking rooms could have been provided instead of forcing smokers outside.

 

If a ban like this can work in a country well known for being unhealthy, it can work anywhere.

[Bombay Bad Boy]

No smoking in the workplace. How will this affect the Peel kipper factory?

[grant]

They'll be exempt, I predict a lot of applicants when they next advertise a job vacancy. That or they'll employ androids only.

[Lonan3]

Here in Scotland the smoking ban has been in a while, and as a non smoker I'm in favour of it. I can now go home from the pub without stinging eyes and smoky clothes.

Except in Glasgow, I believe, where it's considered great fun to give someone a good slap, douse them in petrol and throw a lit match at them.