Going to the pub 26th March?

[Stoi]

I belive the Ubiquitous Chip is preparing a roof garden for those that cant go without. A few nights up there in January and am sure most people will cut down!

 

[pilchardman]

I belive the Ubiquitous Chip is preparing a roof garden for those that cant go without. A few nights up there in January and am sure most people will cut down!

And the type of people who frequent the Ub Chip need to be cut down!

 

[pilchardman]

I belive the Ubiquitous Chip is preparing a roof garden for those that cant go without. A few nights up there in January and am sure most people will cut down!

And the type of people who frequent the Ub Chip need to be cut down!

 

[Velouria]

hmm ...

[14:55] <Velouria> Hmmm I see a loophole
[14:56] <Velouria> What is needed in law to set up a private psychatric hospital I wonder...?
[14:56] <Velouria> People could be admitted for their 'ailments' ... and under exemptions in the law, would be allowed to smoke in a ventillated, designated room ...
[14:57] <Velouria> "psychiatric hospital" means a hospital the whole or main purpose of which is to treat persons with a mental disorder within the meaning of section 328 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and includes a state hospital;
[14:57] <Velouria> Need to read that act
[14:58] <citygirl-5-a-day> lol
[14:58] <Velouria> But just imagine it! You could sign up as a voluntary outpatient for 'anxiety' and pay treatment fees, of, say £10 a month ...
[14:59] <Velouria> then the 'clinicians' could prescibe alcohol (which you get from the bar) and you would then retire off to the designated smoking room within the 'hospital'
[15:00] <Velouria> It could last for a year or so until they tightened up the law on what's a hospital

Come on then! Who's for forming the 'Edinburgh Voluntary Private Mental Health Clinic'?

 

[The Boy]

[14:55] <Velouria> Hmmm I see a loophole
[14:56] <Velouria> What is needed in law to set up a private psychatric hospital I wonder...?
[14:56] <Velouria> People could be admitted for their 'ailments' ... and under exemptions in the law, would be allowed to smoke in a ventillated, designated room ...
[14:57] <Velouria> "psychiatric hospital" means a hospital the whole or main purpose of which is to treat persons with a mental disorder within the meaning of section 328 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and includes a state hospital;
[14:57] <Velouria> Need to read that act
[14:58] <citygirl-5-a-day> lol
[14:58] <Velouria> But just imagine it! You could sign up as a voluntary outpatient for 'anxiety' and pay treatment fees, of, say £10 a month ...
[14:59] <Velouria> then the 'clinicians' could prescibe alcohol (which you get from the bar) and you would then retire off to the designated smoking room within the 'hospital'
[15:00] <Velouria> It could last for a year or so until they tightened up the law on what's a hospital

Come on then! Who's for forming the 'Edinburgh Voluntary Private Mental Health Clinic'?

I'm game. To be fair though, I reckon my local is pretty close to that anyway

 

[Velouria]

I'm game. To be fair though, I reckon my local is pretty close to that anyway

Section 328 is vague enough to make 'diagnosis' a cinch:

328 Meaning of "mental disorder"

1. Subject to subsection (2) below, in this Act "mental disorder" means any-
   • mental illness;
   • personality disorder; or
   • learning disability,
     however caused or manifested; and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.
2. A person is not mentally disordered by reason only of any of the following-
   • sexual orientation;
   • sexual deviancy;
   • transsexualism;
   • transvestism;
   • dependence on, or use of, alcohol or drugs;
   • behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any other person;
   • acting as no prudent person would act.

It all hinges on what is, legally, a hospital

 

[pogofish]

Article about the enforcers in Edinburgh in the Scotsman on Friday or Saturday. It seems that in addition to the full-time staff, they are diverting noise-enforcement folk on to cigarrette duty in the early part of each evening to maximise the number of places covered. Officers are apparently being allowed to assume that a pub without smokers outside, must be breaking the regs & can be targeted. Also, they are claiming that officers (mainly ex-police) are being ordered to tail-home anyone who refuses to give a name (seems they don't actually have the power to require you) so they can call-in the police to deal with it.

Anyone got idea of the actual legality of that?

 

[pilchardman]

Not long to go now!

 

[geminisnake]

Hubby went into town to get milk earlier and says there were groups of people outside every pub he went past, it's normally like a ghost town on Sundays

 

[The Boy]

Just as a matter of interest: did the powers that be deliberately choose the last night of smoking in pubs/clubs to be the one in which we lost an hours driunking time due to the clocks changing?

Very annoying that was...

 

[Velouria]

Just as a matter of interest: did the powers that be deliberately choose the last night of smoking in pubs/clubs to be the one in which we lost an hours driunking time due to the clocks changing?

Very annoying that was...

The powers that be
Don't give a fuck
About you and me

The powers that be
Hate the common scum
Like you and me

And if they could
Kill us riff-raff
I'm sure they would

But they can't kill us
If they tried to - well
There'd be a fuss

And the money they give
Small though it is
We spend to live

And all of that money
They take back in taxes
It's terribly funny

So if we were dead
(Perish the thought)
They'd have no bread

The powers that be
Don't give a fuck
About you and me

But if we ceased to be
They'd have nobody
To tax for money

The powers that be
Hate you and me
But they need our money

I don't think I'll win any poetry contests anytime soon

 

[pilchardman]

I went for a couple this afternoon. It was lovely. I can still wear the same jacket tomorrow!

 

[exosculate]

I went for a couple this afternoon. It was lovely. I can still wear the same jacket tomorrow!

You really are a paternalistic nanny state prick. I really have got no time for your illiberal bullshit.

 

[Velouria]

You really are a paternalistic nanny state prick. I really have got no time for your illiberal bullshit.

Thanks. That's just what I was thinking

 

[pogofish]

If today was much of an indication of things to come, I'd almost prefer to guve-up the pub altogether.

Place 1: Beach cafe - Crusty old Italian-Scottish owner who is getting near retirement & has very little good to say for the laws/council anyway. Place was fine, he has outdoor seating & today was the first nice balmy day in weeks. He didn't give a dammn for the ban but most somkers sat outside anyway & watched the dolphins & a huge flock of feeding birds. Fine. Place would normally have been much buisier on a good Sunday tho.

Place 2: A newish "landlocked" cafe where I often pop-into after work or go to see a band play. Usually a friendly place with a strong cast of regulars - Today was somewhat different - Joyless & sad in the extreme. Only one other regular there there & an OK clutch of others sitting there staring into their coffees. The manageress & staff looked a bit strung-out too, mostly they smoke. Didn't bother with one there.

Place 3: Medium sized pub, regular Sunday meet-up with a few friends for the quiz. Numbers OK but noticably less busy than normal. Only 50-odd signed-up for the quiz, normally over 80 (two weeks back, 100+). A tiny strip of space outdoors for smokers at the front of the building. Inside, it became obvious that the owners had prepared for tonight & brought-in several plain-clothes bouncers (with no visible ID, despite being in a registered-security only zone) who were clearly going to make it difficult for anyone lighting-up. Men going to the bog were followed, not women, no female security - apparently, they were smoking freely in there. Anyone producing a pack of fags had a bouncer come & stand right beside them, followed rapidly by one of the owners, looking nervious. Some words were exchanged with various folk but nobody seemed to be intending to break anything. Near the end of the night, I rolled one for the stroll to my bike & two of them came & plonked themselves down behind me until I put the fag in its case. Outside, we paused to say various goodnights & two of us sparked-up. Straight away, a bouncer from a neighbouring pub trotted over to say "don't stand & smoke & the crossing, move-on please" - Err, the pedestrian lights were at red & I for one was not about to wade into the sunday night boy-racer/taxi traffic without a clear crossing! Oh, there were only two of us at that particular crossing anyway, myself & my pal.

Not really the same is it?

 

[Velouria]

No, pogofish

Oh well, maybe it'll lead to a decent squat party scene up here

 

[pogofish]

Hmmm,

Distinct lack of Squats in Scotland tho. At least in the party sense. Most squatting I can think of involves abandoned agricultural land.

 

[geminisnake]

You really are a paternalistic nanny state prick. I really have got no time for your illiberal bullshit.

Well hit the fucking ignore button instead of keep on moaning

 

[Ich bin ein Mod]

Just as a matter of interest: did the powers that be deliberately choose the last night of smoking in pubs/clubs to be the one in which we lost an hours driunking time due to the clocks changing?

Very annoying that was...

Apparently it was to coincide with British Summer Time so smokers wouldn't be so cold.

Didn't stop it pissing down yesterday!

 

[pilchardman]

You really are a paternalistic nanny state prick. I really have got no time for your illiberal bullshit.

Good argument. I'll mull it over when I'm in the pub.

 

[pogofish]

Hmmm, just read an article in the Scotsman archive saying that Balmoral & other royal palaces & stately homes are exempt.

I can think of an empty pub for lease here, built inside the remains of an old royal palace & wonder. If ruins like Linlothgow retain their "royalness" despite no royal being resident for centuries. Does this place?

Equally, I can think of no shortage of pubs built in stately homes of various types. Hmmm?

 

[Velouria]

Think you'd have more luck with the insane asylum idea, myself

 

[pogofish]

An asylum, inside a palace Belt & braces!

Got to be better than the smoking area outside another city centre pub tonight. Notable that the only adjacent to street area of any size here belongs to a chain with clout & good lawyers! However, halfway into my coffee, the lady next to me started a conversation into the intracacies of getting various of her saggy-bits pierced.

Felt like I's stepped into a real-life H&R thread on here!

 

[marty21]

And the type of people who frequent the Ub Chip need to be cut down!

i went to a wedding reception there, thought it was a nice place

 

[Ich bin ein Mod]

Anyone else find it seems somewhat more social going out for a fag now? There was a fair amount of banter outside the pub tonight, that reflected anywhere else?

 

[pogofish]

Yes, in a beleagured sort of way!

 

[Ich bin ein Mod]

"Leper colony" seemed to be most folks opening gambit right enough!

 

[forked brain]

It makes it so much easier to roll a spliff now, so many other people smoking outside, nobody notices

 

[pogofish]

"Leper colony" seemed to be most folks opening gambit right enough!

Or "how many people did you see in the pub today!"

 

[pogofish]

It makes it so much easier to roll a spliff now, so many other people smoking outside, nobody notices

You have a good point there.