Weird German Law

[TacitBlue]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7721034/

If they passed this law in the US, I wouldnt make it to work in the morning.

[Saitek]

We are going to be banning it in public places I think... I don't think Brits could stomach their rights while in car smoking taken away quite yet!

[Woodlouse2002]

Seems sensible. Holding a fag in one hand as got to be almost as bad as a phone.

[ATI_7500]

Though I'm a (light) smoker myself, I'm absolutely favour of this law. Smoking in cars is simply stupid and dangerous.

[Saitek]

I don't smoke, but how is smoking stupid or dangerous in a car?
It only weighs a couple of grams and doesn't require any concentration, though perhaps lighting up could be tricky on a autobann.
I personally have never ever heard of an accident because the driver was smoking.

[Yurei]

Though I'm a (light) smoker myself, I'm absolutely favour of this law. Smoking in cars is simply stupid and dangerous.

dude!!! i dunno, i think this is one of the dumbest ideas yet of the german law pushers . but from what i got from german news sources, it really doesn't look like they'll get it through (thank god). but if they did, i will definitely limit my time in germany even more! screw them! what's next, making it illegal to listen to music while driving?

[quote]perhaps lighting up could be tricky on a autobann.

[TacitBlue]

Cell phones while driving are dangerouse, and Im against that. I didnt really believe that untill I almost got into a wreck because I was talking on the phone, now I dont have a cell phone, but if I did I wouldnt talk on it while driving. As for smokeing, the only time I find it at all distracting is when lighting up and I usually wait for a red light to do that.

[Woodlouse2002]

Well. Aside from the talking I don't see much difference in holding a phone to your ear or a fag to you lips.

And if I'm very much mistaken I don't believe the talking bit is the bit people have against driving while on the phone...

[Hagar]

I think I'm qualified to comment on smoking while driving. I've been doing it regularly for as long as I've been driving which is longer than I care to remember. I would have to admit that it's potentially dangerous but not nearly as dangerous as using a mobile phone. If you've ever been bumped into by some idiot talking on a mobile while walking along the pavement you will know what I mean. Most people seem to go into their own little world while talking on one of those things & are blissfully unaware of their surroundings. It's dangerous enough while walking so while driving a moving vehicle it could be fatal.

I can see the point of banning both but I fail to see how it could possibly be enforced. Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is illegal in the UK but I still see people doing it every day.

[beefhole]

Ahh, how lucky I am to be 16... now I can just not smoke at all and not give a crap either way

[4_Series_Scania]

Smoking and driving is indeed dangerous, not as dangerous ,however, as your average heavy smoking trucker, driving a 44tonner whilst near breaking point due to the dreaded nicotine withdrawl symptoms......

Give me the smokes over stressed out truckers any time, believe me, I speak from experience.  ;)

If theres one thing in life that I would do differently ,if given the chance, I'd have never started smoking.

[Yurei]

If theres one thing in life that I would do differently ,if given the chance, I'd have never started smoking.

same here . no wait, i'd probably do something else but never starting to smoke comes very close

off topic: beefhole, i see your avatar is working . very pleasant to the eyes, i got so used to the red X

[TSC.]

I'm with the smokers on this one, although I don't smoke anymore.

I used to do a lot of driving in my old job (Torquay -> York -> Liverpool -> Torquay, in a day was a fairly standard drive) & I would've gone absolutely mad on those trips without fags, my concentration would've lagged all the time & boredom would set in fairly quickly.

Although I agree that lighting up the ciggie can be a dangerous procedure whilst driving, on the whole I never had much trouble driving whilst smoking.

Of course there are pitfalls,

1) Dropping a lit fag whilst driving never improves your standard of driving.

2) Lighting the wrong end because you were actually watching the road like you should've been anyway, is never a great idea.

3) Nor is flicking the ash out of the window only to find that a huge great piece of (still burning) tobacco has come loose & been blown straight back into your car (as happened twice) & gone straight between your back & the car seat (cue 1 burnt back, 1 burnt shirt & 1 burnt car seat).

4) 'Point 3' is even worse if your driving your bosses new Mitsubishi Shogun down a dual carriageway at 60mph & it's come straight back in the window & goes somewhere in the back of his motor (as happened once).

Cheers,

TSC.

[beefhole]

off topic: beefhole, i see your avatar is working . very pleasant to the eyes, i got so used to the red X

lol! Whenever I was on my machine, it worked fine.  But when I was at school, or on a buddy's computer, it didn't.  I finally decided to fix it

If theres one thing in life that I would do differently ,if given the chance, I'd have never started smoking.

I second my own point about being 16

[TacitBlue]

Yes, dont start! anyone out there who dosnt already smoke, please dont start, youll regret it. I do now, and keep saying that Im going to quit one day. I guess we all quit eventually though dont we...