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Live! - Opinion

This article is an opinion piece and should be taken as such. It is highly likely to be biased, but either the article itself or the ensuing discussion will probably be entertaining. Live! takes no editorial line on opinion pieces.

Can't people read?

Oct 20 2003 13:02

Leonora Lang

Grrr... people smoking in buildings, and not students either!! They've been told too, yet they persist.

Obviously symbols aren't enough either

I have a rant.

I'm a clean living type person, no smoking, but sex, drugs and rock and roll in moderation. I don't mind people smoking but what I do find irritating are people smoking in a non-smoking building!!! And these people aren't students either!

I 'work' on the 'mysterious' 8th floor in Mech Eng, and with the extensive building works around college, the contractors have use of an office. Recently, I've walked past that office to go and see my supervisor and the marvellous scent of tobacco greeted my nostrils. We also generally leave our office door open, so that smell permeated into our office. Great.

And that's not all, I've just been allocated an office for my lab work (finally) and again, walking past, contractors have been smoking in it!!!

They also make comments at anything in a skirt, or women in general, especially if you appear to be a student.

So the appropriate people have been told and it's about to come up in the right meeting. Let's see what comes of that.

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Discussion about “Can't people read?”

The comments below are unmoderated submissions by Live! readers. The Editor accepts no liability for their content, nor for any offence caused by them. Any complaints should be directed to the Editor.

1. TiggerBaiting

Oct 20 2003 13:47

Read??? Your typical IC Approved contractor can barely put together a quote that bears any resemblence to the true cost of a project... If their reading skills are to be judged by their maths aptitude i would guess no amount of written warnings will suffice...

Can i suggest that the appropriate action on discovering a burning object is to discharge a halon or CO2 fire extinguisher directly at the lit object. If you do it for long enough and at close enough range (you may have to get a stool to reach high enough ;o) it will cure the smoking problem permanently.

2. leo

Oct 20 2003 14:08

>you may have to get a stool to reach high enough ;o)

ha ha, i'm not that short!!!

3. tom t

Oct 20 2003 14:55

May I suggest that you 'dress up' the no-smoking instructions in a subtly doctored version of the 'Sun'. Preferably on page three. The other thing you could do is take their kettle and tea bags outside the building where they are permitted to smoke. The carrot approach can work quite well with work-shy people, i've always found....

4. leo

Oct 20 2003 18:36

i've heard more, on friday, two people in our office, smelt tobacco, and went and knocked on the door, very loudly, and apparently, they thought it was okay to smoke in the office, and no they didn't know it was a non-smoking building

5. Rob

Oct 21 2003 16:53

Don't forget, there is a whole other world out there which contractors inhabit. They do smoke, get drunk after work and comment about young ladies' appearance, but the world as we know it would not work without them.

All contractors require somewhere near where they are working to smoke. Once hooked on tobacco they would not work effectively without it. Just leave them to get on with the job as effectively as possible and they will soon be gone to another part of the country doing another job. No need begrudge them just because they have a colourful vocabulary and aren't afraid to let their feelings be known.

6. Engineering Bird

Oct 21 2003 17:04

As a female working in the mech eng building I've not recieved any lewd comments but I don't doubt that this doesn't occasionally happen, and of course nobody should be forced to work under such harassment.

There is however, one contractor who has smiled at me as I walk into college every single day for the past 3 months. After 3 months of haughtily walking past with a frown, cradling all my prejudices about builders close to my heart, I have been forced to submit to the possibility that he is just a nice cheerful and friendly man. I might say hello tomorrow.

7. amram

Oct 21 2003 19:06

Is OUTLOOK DOWN?

ps engineering bird are you a blonde or a brunette... :)

8. Engineering Bird

Oct 21 2003 19:08

My outlook was down but it's been mended now.

Well Amram, why don't you first tell me - are you blonde or dark? ;-)

9. amram

Oct 21 2003 20:09

I'm dark semitic good looks and fairly tall...

oh and rather witty too!