Prejudice

Is it wrong to gauge the quality of a place by it's clientele? I'm guessing you'll say "No, that sounds reasonable".

Is it wrong to gauge the clientele by how many of them smoke, especially near children?

You're probably divided on this. Non smokers with children will probably think I'm reasonable. Single smokers will probably stop reading now. Actually, they probably stopped a few sentences ago.

I don't smoke, and for someone who hates the foul weed, I have tried to start smoking more times than I can easily remember (usually after too much to drink). Anyway I can't smoke. I really have tried but I'm useless at it.

But being a non smoker I think I'm probably towards the extreme end of the anti-smoking lobby. I noticed one of the contestants on 8 out of 10 Cats (Fri night Ch 4) proclaiming that all smokers should be shot. I probably wouldn't go quite that far but I would make it prohibitively difficult for people to continue the filthy habit.

I've long maintained that cigarettes are too cheap, but my draconian methods for smoking prevention stretch beyond fiscal control. I believe smoking should only be permitted in underground concrete bunkers that have no ventilation. These bunkers would be accessible only by buses that would run only a few times a week. To reduce access to cancer sticks I'd make people pay extortionate fares on this bus route too.

So now you know I'm fairly "anti". But I hate seeing people smoking around children. Don't they know the harmful effects smoke can have on a child's health? A parent, who smokes, increases a baby's chances of cot death. Passively inhaled smoke that is inflicted on children, who have no voice, should be stopped, although I'm not sure how other than the concrete bunker idea.

So this means I have a fairly negative view of smokers, particularly those who smoke around their children, or anyone else's children. And if somewhere has a high proportion of customers who are parents who smoke, then I don't rate it very highly and I won't recommend it.

My advice to Paradise Wildlife Park near Broxbourne - instigate a no smoking policy.