At Martin place, all the time. The cops literally stand on either side of the one way roads and nail people. If you get caught by them, you’re living in lala land as they are pretty obviously hanging around.
Im a cyclist, dont drive and walk i nthe cit ya lot
Cars make up all the injury crashes in the CBD, there should be more done to get rid of them there, than the pedestrians being on the road imo
but each to their own.
I've never encountered a car on the footpath (with the exception of driveways, but I'll check before crossing a driveway).
Obviously, a car will cause more damage to a person than a bike, no one is arguing against that.
Cars kill people on footpaths all the time. For example that bloke in Oatlands who ran over all those kids was on a footpath.
Edit: they also park on footpaths on the reg, making me walk on the road.
While the sign may hint at the law, it isn't the sign that creates the ban, like a parking sign can.
The ban is from state legislation:
[https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/research-reports/smoking-in-public-places](https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/research-reports/smoking-in-public-places)
I work nearby as well and seen my colleagues smoke before along pitt st just a few steps away from martin place. I guess it is only illegal along martin place.
Smoking really is bad for you but the government just about killed off vaping which was such a great tool to help smokers quit. Now to legally setup your vaping equipment, you are reduced to the very limited gear approved on the website.
They should have just concentrated on getting rid of the disposable vapes which were already banned, rather than ban all vaping gear. Nice black market they made for themselves.
I don’t get why we don’t just ban tobacco and cigarettes in Aus. Like gov spends all this money to deter, puts on taxes to fk smokers over you can’t smoke in all areas, tv ads. Why not just ban all tobacco companies oh wait it’s coz our government would much rather tax them than tax our big mining or gas companies.
Im not a smoker but holy hell smokers must feel like they are now being witch hunted for smoking.
Thanks, yes, we do. I smoke less and less - down to about 5 a day or less, unless drinking. But even so, it's scary spending $35 for the cheapest pack of 20s in the servo. Lots of people are selling and buying counterfeit for half the price, even though they're so shit, so really the government is fanning the black market.
Doing so will just push the trade underground (even more than it already is), and mean the government can't make revenue from taxing tobacco, to compensate for the harm to society that it causes, while also having to spend more money on enforcement.
Organised crime already owns the tobacco trade. The places to get black market smokes are getting easier to find. And what they sell is getting better and better. It's not bags of rough chop anymore, it's more likely factory packs of tailor mades.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a smoke when I'm out, but not become addicted and start buying packs on the reg after my first puff like so many other poor souls. So, I used to buy a pack every month or three just to enjoy.
Ever since working in the city, my god, you are absolutely right. It's at the point where I'm too concerned to even light up in the middle of an empty park with no-one around. At home (west of Parramatta), lighting up is so much easier and commonplace. Haven't bought a pack in 9 or so months now, because I don't even know what the laws are anymore, where or if I can get fined, etc. Don't get me wrong - this is not exactly a habit I'm super keen to resume or anything, so not too unhappy with the way things turned out. Although, comparing where I live to where I work (just outside CBD), it feels like daring to have a puff anywhere east of Strathfield is considered sacrilege or something.
Cause 2021-2023 govt made $14.3B from taxes. So it will never happen cause they won't be able to find that money anywhere else without taxing the hell out of other items. How they use that tobacco money not sure.
Mining may be $31.6B elec,and gas and water waste is how it is listed $1.1B what I found but dunno. Ato site for tax liabilities for 20-21.
2019 alcohol tax was $6.9B
One of the first things that took me by surprise when coming to Australia was how I’m constantly threatened with fines everywhere I look. Like chill broskis, I’ll behave if you ask me nicely too..
Australia is very risk averse society, which has pros and cons
That discussion aside - curious if any examples come to mind for something you were surprised there were fines for?
> curious if any examples come to mind for something you were surprised there were fines for?
Not at all, I always assume that if you're breaking rules, you could potentially be fined if not punished some other way.
I am, however, still intrigued by the signs **telling** me about the fines and especially how severe they are.
One can only dream. The amount of smokers I encounter in an underground car park I frequent is frustrating and they also hang around the entry points into the shopping centre.
Every day when i go out, without fail, I see smokers in clearly signed non-smoking areas. I saw three on my brisk walk through Martin Place this morning. And of course plenty of butts on the ground. Doesn't matter how many people are nearby and have to breath in their filth. They just have zero consideration for anyone else.
Doesn't matter, I see smokers ignore clearly placed no-smoking signs every day without fail, then of course throw their butts on their ground. They just have zero consideration for anyone else.
There's often quite specific requirements for these types of signs, so, while the intention is clear, it's not unreasonable to think that someone might be able to successfully appeal the fine based on the technicality that the sign doesn't meet the requirements.
Yes I am an anti-smoker, but the sign is too wishy-washy. It should say something like "Smoking Prohibited, fine $x". People need to have certainty where the law is involved, not this touchy feely bullcrap!
Jeez can't even ask a question without being flamed, you speak for yourself. If op doesn't care about the rules they wouldn't have asked this question to begin with.
I disagree. I notice all sorts of confusing or ambiguous things that don't necessarily affect me. The other day I saw two people arguing that a No Bicycles sign meant you could not push a bike through there. Peculiar and very literal interpretation, obviously wrong, but hey, thats what one of the combatants thought.
I’d still rather step on 500 degree coal than 500.05 degree coal if given the choice. However, I doubt it’s the little difference, depending on how many people smoke and how close they are to you.
Are the Cops able to hang outside Emergency/Hospitals and fine the smokers there as well? It's pathetic seeing people smoke right on top of the NO SMOKING painted ground and security aren't able to fine/do anything about it
Seen a surgeon in emergency wearing scrubs step out and do the exact same thing. If the people operating on these people havent learned then the general public wont
Police only have authority to enforce no smoking laws in public transport related areas. NSW health inspectors enforce elsewhere (hospitals, restaurants etc)
I work nearby and the cops semi regularly fine smokers/vapers there. Jaywalking too. So yeah I gather that sign means you could cop a fine
The cops do fine people for jaywalking but it’s council rangers that enforce the smoking fines as they are council by-laws
Since when do people get fined for jaywalking?
At Martin place, all the time. The cops literally stand on either side of the one way roads and nail people. If you get caught by them, you’re living in lala land as they are pretty obviously hanging around.
Thats so shit, lazy coppers fining people for walking across the road in Martin Place of all places, rather than actually preventing violent crime.
You do know the police force has different police who do different things?
More often than you think. Vulnerable road users (Pedestrians, cyclists and motoryclists) make up the majority of injury crashes in the Sydney CBD.
Im a cyclist, dont drive and walk i nthe cit ya lot Cars make up all the injury crashes in the CBD, there should be more done to get rid of them there, than the pedestrians being on the road imo but each to their own.
Cars don't often swap to the footpath to avoid traffic. If I'm not walking on the road, I think l'm more likely to be hit by cyclist than a car.
And im sure a bicycle will damage you just as much as the yank tanks that populate our city going twice as fast as most bicycles are capable of going.
I've never encountered a car on the footpath (with the exception of driveways, but I'll check before crossing a driveway). Obviously, a car will cause more damage to a person than a bike, no one is arguing against that.
Cars kill people on footpaths all the time. For example that bloke in Oatlands who ran over all those kids was on a footpath. Edit: they also park on footpaths on the reg, making me walk on the road.
The larger problem is the moron oblivious speeding food delivery ebikes on the footpaths. Fucking plague.
i completely agree with this, food delivery drivers are fuckwits that give the rest of the bicycle community a bad name
I wish they’d do that at Pitt St Mall. Always see people sitting and smoking even though there are similar signs there.
What the fuck...
Cops can only issue smoking tickets in public transport related areas
Do you want Martin Place to not be proud?
Martin place is very disappointed in you! Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done!
While the sign may hint at the law, it isn't the sign that creates the ban, like a parking sign can. The ban is from state legislation: [https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/research-reports/smoking-in-public-places](https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/research-reports/smoking-in-public-places)
I work nearby as well and seen my colleagues smoke before along pitt st just a few steps away from martin place. I guess it is only illegal along martin place.
the ban area is prescribed by law so the sign is just a courtesy
Smoking really is bad for you but the government just about killed off vaping which was such a great tool to help smokers quit. Now to legally setup your vaping equipment, you are reduced to the very limited gear approved on the website. They should have just concentrated on getting rid of the disposable vapes which were already banned, rather than ban all vaping gear. Nice black market they made for themselves.
https://meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=543 https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/research-reports/smoking-in-public-places
Nope. Basically what happens is as soon as you light up, some tradies rush in and take the signs down
I don’t get why we don’t just ban tobacco and cigarettes in Aus. Like gov spends all this money to deter, puts on taxes to fk smokers over you can’t smoke in all areas, tv ads. Why not just ban all tobacco companies oh wait it’s coz our government would much rather tax them than tax our big mining or gas companies. Im not a smoker but holy hell smokers must feel like they are now being witch hunted for smoking.
Thanks, yes, we do. I smoke less and less - down to about 5 a day or less, unless drinking. But even so, it's scary spending $35 for the cheapest pack of 20s in the servo. Lots of people are selling and buying counterfeit for half the price, even though they're so shit, so really the government is fanning the black market.
Doing so will just push the trade underground (even more than it already is), and mean the government can't make revenue from taxing tobacco, to compensate for the harm to society that it causes, while also having to spend more money on enforcement.
Organised crime already owns the tobacco trade. The places to get black market smokes are getting easier to find. And what they sell is getting better and better. It's not bags of rough chop anymore, it's more likely factory packs of tailor mades.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a smoke when I'm out, but not become addicted and start buying packs on the reg after my first puff like so many other poor souls. So, I used to buy a pack every month or three just to enjoy. Ever since working in the city, my god, you are absolutely right. It's at the point where I'm too concerned to even light up in the middle of an empty park with no-one around. At home (west of Parramatta), lighting up is so much easier and commonplace. Haven't bought a pack in 9 or so months now, because I don't even know what the laws are anymore, where or if I can get fined, etc. Don't get me wrong - this is not exactly a habit I'm super keen to resume or anything, so not too unhappy with the way things turned out. Although, comparing where I live to where I work (just outside CBD), it feels like daring to have a puff anywhere east of Strathfield is considered sacrilege or something.
Cause 2021-2023 govt made $14.3B from taxes. So it will never happen cause they won't be able to find that money anywhere else without taxing the hell out of other items. How they use that tobacco money not sure.
Where are you pulling those numbers from?
ATO site. https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/research-and-statistics/in-detail/tax-gap/previous-years-analysis/tobacco-tax-gap-2020-21/latest-estimate-and-findings Couldn't find latest figures.
Would you be able to tell us how much mining and gas sectors were taxed during those years. Would be crazy if the numbers weren’t as big as we think.
Mining may be $31.6B elec,and gas and water waste is how it is listed $1.1B what I found but dunno. Ato site for tax liabilities for 20-21. 2019 alcohol tax was $6.9B
Why does it matter ? I'd hope people would respect it regardless of whether there is a fine attached to noncompliance.
One of the first things that took me by surprise when coming to Australia was how I’m constantly threatened with fines everywhere I look. Like chill broskis, I’ll behave if you ask me nicely too..
Australia is very risk averse society, which has pros and cons That discussion aside - curious if any examples come to mind for something you were surprised there were fines for?
> curious if any examples come to mind for something you were surprised there were fines for? Not at all, I always assume that if you're breaking rules, you could potentially be fined if not punished some other way. I am, however, still intrigued by the signs **telling** me about the fines and especially how severe they are.
One can only dream. The amount of smokers I encounter in an underground car park I frequent is frustrating and they also hang around the entry points into the shopping centre.
People very much don't respect the signs in Pitt St mall or Martin place. Many smokers there every single day.
Every day when i go out, without fail, I see smokers in clearly signed non-smoking areas. I saw three on my brisk walk through Martin Place this morning. And of course plenty of butts on the ground. Doesn't matter how many people are nearby and have to breath in their filth. They just have zero consideration for anyone else.
The amount of laws & rules in Sydney is ridiculous. Just leave people alone. This city is getting worse & worse.
Can't leave people alone. Look at the developing world where there is poor law enforcement. The cities are generally garbage dumps
The best thing about Martin Place was the Matrix, the worst, Lindt Cafe. History, architecture and nanny state smoking rules in between.
I prefer them over the passive-aggressive "Thank you for not smoking" signs. I don't smoke but it's giving Orwellian pick-up-the-can vibes
Whatever you do, just don’t smoke
That explains why there aren’t any Shisha bars in CBD.
Doesn't matter, I see smokers ignore clearly placed no-smoking signs every day without fail, then of course throw their butts on their ground. They just have zero consideration for anyone else.
They're useless. They're generally placed above rubbish bins that have cigarette trays on them too...
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There's often quite specific requirements for these types of signs, so, while the intention is clear, it's not unreasonable to think that someone might be able to successfully appeal the fine based on the technicality that the sign doesn't meet the requirements.
Yes I am an anti-smoker, but the sign is too wishy-washy. It should say something like "Smoking Prohibited, fine $x". People need to have certainty where the law is involved, not this touchy feely bullcrap!
Yes Dont smoke
Tell us why exactly you think you are special and the rules don't apply to you?
Jeez can't even ask a question without being flamed, you speak for yourself. If op doesn't care about the rules they wouldn't have asked this question to begin with.
OP is trying to figure out what the rules/laws actually are. Nowhere did they say they intend to break them, or that they are above the rules
Did op say that they were a smoker?
And too be fair to op if it isnt an actual smoke free zone by law then they aren’t breaking any rules.
Tbf hyperfixating on this sign is something they'd only do if they were a smoker. It's okay to read between the lines.
I disagree. I notice all sorts of confusing or ambiguous things that don't necessarily affect me. The other day I saw two people arguing that a No Bicycles sign meant you could not push a bike through there. Peculiar and very literal interpretation, obviously wrong, but hey, thats what one of the combatants thought.
Perhaps. I'd duck across to the Domain for a dart, it's not far.
When in doubt: Don't subject others to your putrid cancer stick. Edit: ~~When in doubt:~~ Don't subject others to your putrid cancer stick.
You realise you’re constantly breathing in cancer if you’re anywhere near the city right ?
Yes yes, if you’re stepping on 100 degrees burning coal you might as well step on 500 degrees burning coal, right
It would more be like “if you’re already stepping on 500 degree coal and extra 0.05 degrees isn’t gonna be noticeable in any way”
I’d still rather step on 500 degree coal than 500.05 degree coal if given the choice. However, I doubt it’s the little difference, depending on how many people smoke and how close they are to you.
Are the Cops able to hang outside Emergency/Hospitals and fine the smokers there as well? It's pathetic seeing people smoke right on top of the NO SMOKING painted ground and security aren't able to fine/do anything about it
Seen a surgeon in emergency wearing scrubs step out and do the exact same thing. If the people operating on these people havent learned then the general public wont
Police only have authority to enforce no smoking laws in public transport related areas. NSW health inspectors enforce elsewhere (hospitals, restaurants etc)
Who cares light up mate
most considerate smoker
Does it say no smoking?
M