# Good idea for this ban?



## Gael (Mar 27, 2014)

A ban on smoking in cars there in the Republic of Ireland. While I feel that should be the case with children in the car, how realistic is it to expect it to be enforced? The garda are so lax to begin with, they would be the last ones to crack down on this.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/po...-Minister-poised-to-ban-smoking-in-cars-.html


----------



## That Guy (Mar 27, 2014)

Funny you should mention this as I was just pondering this morning about how we came to ban this and ban that and on and on and on.  Personally, I'm tired of being told how, what and where I can be "free".  The squeeze is on...


----------



## Falcon (Mar 27, 2014)

The land of the free?  HAH!


----------



## Gael (Mar 27, 2014)

That Guy said:


> Funny you should mention this as I was just pondering this morning about how we came to ban this and ban that and on and on and on.  Personally, I'm tired of being told how, what and where I can be "free".  The squeeze is on...



I have no problem with banning those things that harm us and especially what harms children. But the enforcement is the issue in this case.


----------



## Gael (Mar 27, 2014)

Falcon said:


> The land of the free?  HAH!



This is the Republic of Ireland where it's occurring. But maybe they qualitify for that American expression too as they fought and won their freedom from England. However, they have a lax law enforcement system.


----------



## Justme (Mar 27, 2014)

Gael said:


> A ban on smoking in cars there in the Republic of Ireland. While I feel that should be the case with children in the car, how realistic is it to expect it to be enforced? The garda are so lax to begin with, they would be the last ones to crack down on this.
> 
> http://www.irishcentral.com/news/po...-Minister-poised-to-ban-smoking-in-cars-.html



Good for Ireland. They are supposed to be thinking of banning smoking in cars if children are present here in the UK. I don't think drivers should be permitted to smoke as it means they have to keep taking their hand off the wheel. They aren't permitted to eat, using their hands, or drink from a cup etc whilst driving.


----------



## Gael (Mar 27, 2014)

Justme said:


> Good for Ireland. They are supposed to be thinking of banning smoking in cars if children are present here in the UK. I don't think drivers should be permitted to smoke as it means they have to keep taking their hand off the wheel. They aren't permitted to eat, using their hands, or drink from a cup etc whilst driving.



Yes indeed! Why is it ok to have you hand off the wheel for other things, but it's ok if it's a cigarette?
I was hit head on by a driver with their hand off the wheel so it's a sore subject for me.


----------



## Justme (Mar 27, 2014)

Gael said:


> Yes indeed! Why is it ok to have you hand off the wheel for other things, but it's ok if it's a cigarette?
> I was hit head on by a driver with their hand off the wheel so it's a sore subject for me.



That is really silly, I agree.


----------



## Capt Lightning (Mar 27, 2014)

Gael, I'm sure the RoI could address more important issues than smoking in cars.  What about the North  - I seem to recall the 'police' there were, shall I say, "extremely zealous".


----------



## Gael (Mar 27, 2014)

Capt Lightning said:


> Gael, I'm sure the RoI could address more important issues than smoking in cars.  What about the North  - I seem to recall the 'police' there were, shall I say, "extremely zealous".



Zealous for the wrong reasons I'm afraid and for the wrong individuals. But the ROI doesn't address important or lesser issues in general and most recently you know they've come under fire from within their own ranks.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...nifeedge-in-garda-tapes-scandal-30125572.html


----------



## Capt Lightning (Mar 28, 2014)

Morning Gael...  It's a long time since I've been there.  I was a student at QUB in the 60's/70's and worked there briefly.   I can't say it was the most enoyable time of my life and I was glad to get out.  There were some rather bizarre laws regarding motoring -like the 'R' plate - do they still have that?  And pubs / shops were closed on Sunday, Easter  etc.   It reminded me of the Western Isles!

As a non smoker, I wouldn't travel in a car if someone was smoking - I wouldn't even buy a car that had belonged to a smoker.    However, I defend the right of people to smoke as long as they don't annoy anyone.


----------



## Gael (Mar 28, 2014)

Capt Lightning said:


> Morning Gael...  It's a long time since I've been there.  I was a student at QUB in the 60's/70's and worked there briefly.   I can't say it was the most enoyable time of my life and I was glad to get out.  There were some rather bizarre laws regarding motoring -like the 'R' plate - do they still have that?  And pubs / shops were closed on Sunday, Easter  etc.   It reminded me of the Western Isles!
> 
> As a non smoker, I wouldn't travel in a car if someone was smoking - I wouldn't even buy a car that had belonged to a smoker.    However, I defend the right of people to smoke as long as they don't annoy anyone.



The story was aimed at the point of smoking with children on board. That I would like to see made illegal. The effects of second hand smoke is so detrimental to little lungs that words fail me.

So you stayed in the Republic or then North in the 60s/70s?


----------



## Warrigal (Mar 28, 2014)

Justme said:


> Good for Ireland. They are supposed to be thinking of banning smoking in cars if children are present here in the UK. I don't think drivers should be permitted to smoke as it means they have to keep taking their hand off the wheel. They aren't permitted to eat, using their hands, or drink from a cup etc whilst driving.



:iagree: or talk or text on their mobiles


----------



## Gael (Mar 28, 2014)

Warrigal said:


> :iagree: or talk or text on their mobiles



OH boy do you have that right. And I have the scars to prove it thanks to some young nitwit.:banghead:


----------



## Capt Lightning (Mar 28, 2014)

Yes Gael, I studied engineering at Queens in Belfast and afterwards worked there for a while.  Grew sick of the place (Sorry) and was glad to get out.  I expect it has changed a lot recently, but I've no intention of finding out.  Only had one business trip to the republic (Limerick) - it was so laid back it wasn't true.

OK, to get back to your point, I can see the reasoning behind this, and totally agree with the idea of banning it when children are in the car.  Adults at least can opt not to be in the vehicle.  But, just look at the number who ignore the ban on using a mobile phone and wonder if it would ever be enforced.


----------



## Gael (Mar 28, 2014)

Capt Lightning said:


> Yes Gael, I studied engineering at Queens in Belfast and afterwards worked there for a while.  Grew sick of the place (Sorry) and was glad to get out.  I expect it has changed a lot recently, but I've no intention of finding out.  Only had one business trip to the republic (Limerick) - it was so laid back it wasn't true.
> 
> OK, to get back to your point, I can see the reasoning behind this, and totally agree with the idea of banning it when children are in the car.  Adults at least can opt not to be in the vehicle.  But, just look at the number who ignore the ban on using a mobile phone and wonder if it would ever be enforced.



OMG, Belfast during the Troubles! Run, don't walk away! But I will tell you that it's made tremendous improvements and now Belfast is one of my favorite cities.

I agree about the difficult in enforcing this ban which I noted in my original post.


----------



## That Guy (Mar 28, 2014)

I still say, "No, no and NO!"  Stop the Nanny State and quit telling me what's good or bad for me.  Once upon a time in a land far, far away . . . people lived as they deemed necessary and fought for the right to do so.  As for the secondhand smoke (oh, did you know there are idiots out there complaining about Thirdhand smoke?  @#%^&*!), my mom smoked like a fiend in, on and around me and I turned out just  . . . koff, koff, koff . . . fine ... (which of course may be debatable... in some circles).  Sure cigarettes are horrible and nasty and I can't stand being around the smoke and agree it's bad for children stuck inside cars.  But!  I do my best to avoid those circumstances on my own without some goddamned LAW clamping down with a heavy boot.


----------



## Denise1952 (Mar 28, 2014)

The only thing I agree with is "no smoking in cars when children are passengers".  Otherwise, if people want to smoke, there is no law against smoking tobacco, so yeah, I don't agree with a ban on ALL smoking in cars.  I mean someone can pick their nose and run into someone.  I know you guys could not handle a ban on picking your noses.  I love it, driving down the road, nice looking guy in a passing car, and he's picking his nose.  I think picking your nose should be allowed when children are passengers as well. Denise

Oh, and it probably isn't realistic for anyone to expect it to be enforced, and the only reason I say that is there's so many offenders, you can't catch them all.  Same with cell phones here in Oregon.  We aren't supposed to talk directly on a cellphone, or text (who does that? just too scarey) but you can use a blue-tooth, whatever.  But at least once or twice a day I see someone using their cellphone with no blue-tooth.


----------

