Thursday 22 August 2013

Pathetic Britain

From Manchester Evening News:
A tram driver was caught smoking an electronic cigarette while at the controls – by a passenger who snapped her in the act.
Err, this is news?
She was pictured by a commuter travelling from his home in Whitefield to his job in finance in Sale. 
The 35-year-old passenger, who asked not to be named, said he saw the driver rummaging in her handbag while the tram was stopped at Shudehill – before she smoked the e-cig all the way to Market Street, where he got off.
All the way to Market Street, eh? It must have been hell on earth to witness that ... through plexi-glass.

Be afraid, be very afraid
He said: “What I saw wasn’t acceptable. I couldn’t believe it when she pulled out an e-cigarette. My first thought was for passenger safety – it’s clearly a distraction and the driver shouldn’t have anything that’s distracting.”
It is quite incredible what chicken littles can deem as a danger to safety these days.
The driver was sitting in front of a sign saying ‘Please do not distract the driver while the tram is moving’.
Nothing was distracting the driver except, perhaps, some pathetic prodnose taking pictures. Would this effete plank be equally concerned if she was scratching her nose while driving a mode of transport which doesn't require steering? On this evidence, probably yes.
The passenger added: “There should be policy on this. Anything that is taking the driver’s attention away from their job has got to be a bad thing. Luckily I was about to change trams – if I’d had to stay on it would have bothered me more and more.”
And this precious tart should never be bothered by anything at all. It's his birthright, so it is.
Metrolink chiefs told the M.E.N. they have asked staff not to smoke the e-cigs on the network as a courtesy to others – and are developing policies which could prohibit passengers from using them too.
And why is this, Metrolink? Any evidence of harm you might like to point to?
Human resources boss Marie Daly said: “We have taken the steps to develop rules and procedures for the whole company which stipulate that e-cigarettes should only be used in designated areas."
Designated areas being, presumably, the pavement.
“In the case of one of our drivers using an e-cigarette, we have spoken to the driver in question to ensure their understanding of our position regarding this subject, more from a safety point of view as the use of an e-cigarette may mean they could be distracted from their job.”
Oh do fuck off.

Remind me, how the hell did this country survive two world wars?


12 comments:

2544andrew said...

Well said Mr Puddlecote.

JonathanBagley said...

The saddo got one hell of a kicking in the comments.

Kath Gillon said...

well said Dick and all the time we have these brown nosing little do gooders let's all pray we don't have another world war because this country would be royally screwed.
I am sure Captain Mainwaring would be rolling in his grave!

Curmudgeon said...

Shudehill to Market Street is all of about 400 yards...

Dick_Puddlecote said...

A joy to read, isn't it? ;)

Dick_Puddlecote said...

Crikey! He's more of a petal than I thought.

SadButMadLad said...

Driver probably only had a suck or two. The passenger is probably one of those who thinks that you vape an e-cig like a real cig, for minutes at a time rather than a suck or two and then put it away.

nisakiman said...

Please, Sir! Please Sir! I just saw Jones smoking a cigarette behind the bike shed Sir!

Tom said...

"... Remind me, how the hell did this country survive two world wars?..."


Why, they smoked and drank their way, winning both world wars, and in the case of the second, the non-smoking smoke-banned vegetarian-persuaded German do-good army under smoke-hater, Hitler, of course, lost.

dave/r said...

shudehill to market street is 400 yads why could,nt the idle bastard walk

John Pickworth said...

Funniest thing I've read for ages.

Chap must be a right stress head... obviously he was changing trams and fuck me, I wouldn't be surprised if in tomorrows M.E.N there's a follow up: "The next driver was continually checking his speedo, looking in his mirrors and moving the 'go faster', 'go slower' level. I feared we could have crashed at any moment!"

truckerlyn said...

I, as most smoking truckers do, smoke proper cigs in the cab. I once asked a non smoking trucker what he did to nullify the soporific effect of long runs on a motorway, for example. He told me he looks around at what he is passing to see what grabs his attention and at night he finds light in the distance across the fields interesting and watches them to try and work out what they are!


I said, in that case, my smoking is far safer than what you do because both hands are mostly on the wheel and both eyes are on the road! However, he does not like the smell when he gets in a cab that a was previously driven by a smoker!


It is pathetic! How, smoking a cigarette or puffing on an electronic device can constitute a distraction is beyond me. Personally I find that smoking helps with concentration and the drowsy (soporific) effect that long, monotonous miles can cause, especially when it can be nigh impossible to pull over anywhere for a short break when you know you need one.


So, please give a thumbs up to smoking truckers and a blast on the horn to the pathetic non smoking truckers who spend more time studying the fields rather than watching the road!