.JPG)
Granted - this is probably one of the worst photos I've ever taken but it was impossible to see how bad it was until I uploaded it to my computer from my phone.
It is, however, an example of why I think the time has come - bearing in mind the smoke-free law - for no smoking signs to be stubbed out (grooaan, sorry, couldn't resist the pun).
Personally, as a polite smoker, I find this sign monumentally offensive. It was displayed inside the Coffee Tempo and Little Chef at the Ferrybridge South Service station on the A1. It has the usual striked through cigarette image with the words underneath : NOT IN HERE, THANKS!
I find it offensive because it takes the premise that smokers are ignorant people who will light up wherever they want and whatever the law when smokers know this is not the case and never has been.
It isn't the only sign that is derogatory towards smokers. There are others, and hopefully, I'll get better pictures of them than this one when I am next in town or shopping.
For example, in the Starbucks cafe in Lincoln, they have a ridiculous sign that says "No smoking because Smoking spoils the taste of our coffee." Urrgghhh.
Tesco's cafe in the north of Lincoln has a sign which says "For the comfort of ALL our customers, smoking is not permitted in this cafe." Uuurrgghhh.
I have actually taken up this ofensive sign with Tesco who just don't get it, and despite the law, they don't seem to understand that a sign that simply says No Smoking is suficient. I haven't shopped at Tesco since my battle began back in the late 90s. Any smoker worth their pride, would not shop there either in protest.
My point is, now that we have a law, and we all know we cannot smoke in planes, trains, cafes, restaurants, pubs, railway platforms, etc, etc, etc.... we don't need a sign to tell us that. The antis are always banging on about "The Children, The Children, We Must Save the Children!" and yet they are quite happy to see these signs everywhere which, in my opinion, create an interest in smoking among children. What is the first question they will ask when they see such a sign? My bet is : "What is smoking?"
If we didn't have the signs, then the nice middle class children that NuLab and their anti-smoking paymasters are trying to protect, probably wouldn't even know what smoking is.
We have a law, we don't need a sign. It's time they were gone.