The smoking ban and the biggest back hander in history

The smoking ban came in to force in July 2007. I'm a smoker, but I think it's an excellent piece of legislation. It should have been done years ago. Pubs, clubs and restaurants are much nicer places to go these days and I don't mind in the slightest having to nip out for a cig and get away from people. If you're in a boring conversation you've got a ready made excuse to hand at all times allowing you to **** off. It's brilliant.

Before the smoking ban there were an increasing amount of businesses that chose to ban smoking on their premises. Their business, their building, their right. They put 'no smoking' signs up throughout their establishment. The guy who made these signs and stickers was on a nice little earner.

When the ban was proposed he could see his business going down the swanny. Why would anyone buy 'no smoking' signs when it was illegal to smoke anywhere indoors? Our shops, pubs, hotels, clubs and restaurants are not filled with signs telling us about other laws we must not break. No one has a 'No Murdering' or a 'No Beating People Up With Sticks' sign in their gaff. The government pass the law, the police enforce the law and we abide by the law. Some of us don't and they are fined or sent to prison. But we don't need signs everywhere reminding us of all the laws we must not break. Smoking is banned indoors. We all know it. Yet there are thousands of 'no smoking' signs everywhere you go. Multiple signs in every place of business.

What I'd like to know is, how much money did the guy who makes these signs pay to the Labour government in order for them to not only ban smoking, but to force every public place in the country, everywhere that someone works indoors, to put up signs to constantly remind everyone of this law? It must have been a hell of a lot, but nothing compared to the gazillions he's made since the law was brought in. The clever bugger.

 

There are no eating and drinking signs outside most shops, actually.

 

Eating and drinking isn't against the law. If it was we'd all be in trouble. It's the rules of that particular shop.

 

F*cking hell....so it's just 1 bloke who makes all these No Smoking signs!

 

Actually they sent some free of charge...the cost of the signs never made up for the loss of trade though.

 

Someone still had to pay for them somewhere. The company that makes them didn't make them for free.

 

they want to diversify, and make "smoking area" signs for outside

 

What are you smoking Jay ? You gone mad ?

 

The no smoking signs are handy for stubbing out your fags, though.

 

Just been to Devon.. while eating in a pub.. a group of Dutch visitors decided to light up ..much to the disgust of everybody in the pub... they claimed that they had no Idea.... do you believe them.??

 

The best pub sign I've seen was at the Rambler Inn in Edale. It said "Petting Area Round the Back".

I immediately went round the back but all I could see was a few goats.