Smoking

[mushroom25]

Woman pushed on railway tracks http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/754604 6.stm Smokers: Would you feel justified in defending your habit in a similarly robust manner? Or is this a case of "interfering busybody" who should have left well alone?

[daffy654]

I think what the two men did was totally in the wrong and they should be punished severely for assault.........however,the woman should have reported her concerns to station staff rather than confronting the two men herself,it is just too dangerous these days to get involved!

[tiggerblue10]

Depends on what happened at the time. I don't know the full story so cannot comment. If they were smoking outside and there were no "no smoking" signs then she shouldn't have interfered. That does not, however justify what they did to her.

I'm an ex-smoker and it bothers me when I'm walking on the pavement hehind someone who's smoking but I wouldn't say anything as they are outside doing it.

[Barmaid]

I was horrified when I saw this. Anyone who smokes knows that in a public place it is banned and generally, railway platforms have introduced the ban there. I smoke. Firstly I would never smoke where it was not allowed. Secondly the only time my smoking has been challenged has been on a ship at sea (I was smoking outside on the deck having checked with a steward first if it was OK in that area before I actually noticed the sign permitting it). An extremely rude women told me in extremely rude terms to stop. I politely informed her that it was permitted in that area - pointed to the sign and left her to it. Everytime she saw me for the rest of the voyage I was subjected to abuse and insults. Perhaps I should have just thrown her overboard.

But that is hardly the point. The fact that society has now degenerated to such an extent that someone asking someone else to stop doing something results in a physical attack that could have led to her death is appalling. We regularly read about people intervening in other matters only to be set upon by a feral mob.

Unfortunately, things will deteriorate to such an extent that no one will feel able to intervene to stop something of outrage, and no one will feel able to help someone else in danger.

I was brought up to stand up for what I believe in and have in the past challenged people I think are doing wrong (most notably dropping litter), albeit in a polite manner. However, I now think twice about it since I fear the backlash could be serious. A sad sad place to be.

[stokemaveric]

my dear dad is at this very moment in hospital on his death bed,he has smoked for 60 years,he has lung cancer,copd and emphysemia his oxygen levels are so low that he has an oxygem mask on 24/7 he will be lucky to see the end of the month he began smoking in the 40s when it was fashionable to do so and became hooked.it has now caught up with him.......these evil thugs will get their comeuppance 1 day when they are in the same position as my dad.............

[sara3]

oh Stoke, that's really sad.. I'm sorry x

[Jbird]

what happened to the poor woman is a case in point of our so called liberal society haveing very unliberal laws so there fore if the liberals made laws to cater for minoritys as they say then an arrangement would have been made, i.e a shelter at least. as a result you anoy and bully the none smoker in this case, think about it ?

[stokemaveric]

thanx sara3 ive got back from the hospital 2day and they have told him there is nothing they can do for him its a truly tragic time for our family there are somr dark days ahead im sure if the govt ever wants to stop smoking they should take people round the wards to see the effrect smoking has on the body...thanx again sara x

[vehelpfulguy]

My wife's father died a couple of years ago from the long term affects of smoking.

All these young kids who think it is "cool" to stick a rolled up leaf in your mouth and set fire to it should realise that years later they will not even be able to walk upstairs without getting out of breath.

We humans do some very stupid things at times.

[Lonnie]

First off,

Stoke,
i'm really saddened by whats happened to your father, all I can say is, my thoughts are with you, and your family during this time.


As for the question, I think she was right, but it all depends in the manner she asked them as to their response, but no matter, their reaction was 100% wrong, and if they are caught, suitably punished.

[Ethel]

This occurrence is even more sinister as she had confronted the young men some days ago - it was not a rash, knee jerk reaction to a provocative comment.

[vehelpfulguy]

And as for the morons who pushed the woman off the platform.....

I am afraid that years of letting kids do what they like has led to a situation where some have never been told off by anybody (parents, teachers, other adults).

When they are told off they are so shocked they react like this.

I was in McDonalds a few months ago and two young boys (about 13 years old) were throwing their food up in the air trying to make it stick on the ceiling.

Some of it went on our table, so I asked them to stop.

They got up to walk out, and one the little ba5tards threw a polystyrene burger box in my face. Little git.

[terambulan]

A very silly lady.......even if there is a ban at the station the lady doesn't have the authority to police it.

The plebs who pushed her onto the line should be caught and punished.

[stokemaveric]

thanx lonnie........

[Ethel]

Those who say that lady should have said nothing as it is not her job - does the same apply to this situation?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/arti cle-1042094/Baby-playing-beach-killed-boys-thr owing-stones-sea.html

[WhiteBear]

smokers drives me mad sometimes, esp when walking behind someone who just lights up etc or waiting for the bus, the smoke just gets in my face and when they flick their ashes it goes all over me, i mean do they have any consideration? since the smoking banned ive noticed that the whole street in the city centre have turned into a smoking zone, u walk passed these smokers leaning against the wall puffing their way.... they look so desperate! i think i need to invest a mask soon lol :P :) x

[flip_flop]

Unfortunately Whitebear, because Nanny has decided it is naughty to smoke indoors now, people will smoke in the street, and thankfully (not becuase I'm a smoker - I'm not - but because I'm sick of the erosion of our freedoms) there is absolutely naff all anybody can do about it.

As for this lady, I'm very much in two minds because (a) they were smoking on an open air platform, so they weren't doing any harm, so in that respect I can't help thinking she was an interfering busybody, but (b) it is the property of the rail company so they are entitled to decide what can and cannot happen on their property, and (c) what they did was wholly inappropriate - telling her to mind her own effing business is one thing (and I can't help feeling somewhat justified) but pushing her on to the rails was disgraceful - and as Ethel has said, they pushed her a day or two after she had confronted them, so it kind of smacks of premeditation.

I saw the lady interviewed on the SE news last night, and I've got to say, she did come accross as one of those annoying women that would stick their oar in to things that have got nothing to do with her - not that that is an excuse for what happened to her.

[New Judge]

Smoking on the platform concerned was, indeed prohibited even though itwas in the open air.

The matter clearly did have something to do with the "annoying busybody". The law was being broken and she was trying to ensure it was not.

Nonetheless, even if she was just a busybody and it had nothing to do with her, I can't quite see how two twenty-odd year old men can justify their actions against a 58 year old woman, which could easily have led to her death.

[horselady]

Smoking is banned on all station premises around my area, with frequent announcements pointing this out and also no smoking signs everywhere. People still stand there and blatantly smoke right beside a sign and when the announcements are repeated all the time. They think a rule applies to everyone else but them. I would never challenge anyone these days (unless they were doing something that was putting my family in immediate danger). Life is so cheap to thugs like these.

[welshwil]

I get off at this station in farningham road every morning for work, and whilst it is manned in the morning, it is not after midday, so she could not have asked any staff to intervene, as a smoker i always stand outside the gate there for a cigarette, i have however on a number of occasions seen people on the platforms smoking young and old,

[voltr4m4x]

In Germany they have re-introduced smoking in pubs where meals are not prepared nor consumed on the premises. This is because trade in those establishments has fallen almost catastrophically since the introduction of the law banning smoking in public places. What's the betting that a similar relaxation will be made to the law in the United Kingdom in he near future ?