Change already?

So nice to see the spirit of tolerance, civility and reason in this newsgroup!

I sense anger in this one; have a pint of real ale in a smoke-free pub and relax.

There might have been room for more flexibility in the smoking ban. I'm with you on the cyclists, though - is there a petition I can sign? ;-)

You seemed to have missed the bit where I said "Plenty of links to follow up here". I wasn't suggesting that Wikipedia was an authoritative source but it does provide a handy starting point for finding where the accurate information is.

I note you didn't reply to this:

'Would you puff away next to a sleeping baby? And if not, why not?'

Thinking about this question should help you with your 'views'.

E.

Which of course is entirely unbiased and has no axe to grind.

But don't then drive, or you may well end up killing "bastards" like me.

I had partly composed an angry response when I realised that it was tongue in cheek. Maybe the odd smiley to help people with the subtleties? Especially just after closing time. :-) :D ;-)

Now here's an idea. "Cyclists don't cause pollution, don't consume scarce natural resources, and don't significantly contribute to congestion. Therefore all commuters travelling less than 5 miles to work should be made to cycle or use public transport." Sound good?

In article , eastender writes

Ah the old 'can't you just please think of the children' ploy, before I stopped I never smoked where non smokers lived or worked, good manners and all that, I would go outside, a sleeping baby isn't a smoker so, no I wouldn't unless it got through 20 a day.

Mike

In article , Steven Pampling writes

Smokers have the same rights as non-smokers; neither of them have a right to harm others, unfortunately some smokers believe they have a civil right to harm others. That assumed 'right' has been restricted.

I do every lunch time and the cyclists slow me down because they spread all over the road as if they owned it.

Dave

Which is precisely the reason for the workplace smoking ban, so in fact you were ahead of the game all along.

The sad truth is that many children show levels of cotinine (a nicotine byproduct) in their blood. You're so right not to smoke near children.

E.

That's the correct form of cycling. Cyclists own the road as much as you. Did you ever pass your driving test or are you totally arrogant?

I remember a few years ago when the truckers were protesting about the cost of fuel. Did you not take umbrage when they slowed the traffic down on the roads, or was that OK cos they own them?

By the way, the government own the highway roads. They purchased the land with the money they stole from the public in taxes.

Dave

Oh dear, you really have got a mixed up head, haven't you?

How about some beer comment?

Peter

In general yes. But (and I speak as a cyclist myself) there are some cyclists who do indeed fit that description.

Cyclists need to strike a balance between assertiveness (they are highly vulnerable, and need to eliminate things like dangerous overtaking) and consideration (they should not needlessly impede traffic flow). Sadly some don't quite manage this.

OK. The Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign recently had a "bike week pub crawl". The mind boggles.