Taxi Driver Online

Evening News (Edinburgh)

August 28, 2007, Tuesday

Cab licence warning as smoking drivers fined

TAXI drivers in West Lothian have been warned that they face losing their licences if they smoke inside their cabs.

Officials at West Lothian Council warned that drivers who smoked while working would be referred to the region's licensing committee to consider their standing as a taxi licence holder.

The call comes after three drivers were handed GBP 50 fixed penalty notices in recent weeks after being caught smoking in their vehicles.

Councillor John Cochrane, who chairs the council's licensing committee, said: "These were the first three fixed penalty notices issued to taxi drivers in West Lothian.

"We are now handing out a very clear warning. We are determined to uphold the law."
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The first objective of any government is population control. A Government that feels its losing control of the populace brings in lots of minor laws to distract and control the masses. To make you; the people, the hoi polloi, the proletariat scum, sweat the small stuff. They need to keep everyone distracted from the bigger picture. If you are concentrating on all the small stuff then they are free to do what they want. Think Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel, “The War on Terror” and anything else you might be paying for.

BTW, I'm not a smoker.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Yes but only the easy stuff, eh?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I agree with everything you said garry!!!
The trouble with that lot are they have to be seen to upholding their trendy new law, and as gusmac says only the easy ones!!!
these guys need a lesson on how to smoke in their motors without getting caught! Never do it in a rank,easy pickings!! never do it with a punter in the back,always keep the offending item below window level,don,t panic if the police see you they don,t give a f**k,in around about a year it will be self policing and these jobsworth c***s will be harrasing drinkers lecture and moan over!!!!!!!!

The problem is, that in Scotland it requires two Police officers to corroborate an offence if you get seen doing a dirty deed. And without physical evidence there is no offence, or at least it is if very hard to prove. Do the dirty deed when you are in the position to get rid of the offending butt and deny the offence outright. You might want to point to the fact that the officers failed to produce the physical evidence of what they were accusing you of - at the point of being charged.

You get the opportunity to make a short statement – make it count.

They will only go for the easy victums. The Fiscal is of the same ilk.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"