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I have had issues with Morissons recently and will copy below after I have answered a couple of points. Firstly somebody raised nthe completly spiurious point of vaping leaving a deposit on goods other people have to buy.  Well firstly I and I believe many smokers in most recent times would not smoke in a food outlet. But I do not see how vaping can do so as all that is given off is water vapour which being warmer than the surrounding air rises up and away from any goods.  Secondly the arguement that it is their building and they can do what they like and we should respect that holds no water for me.  The respondent is right in asmuchas any business can refuse to do business with anybody it chooses without reason, but that is not acceptable as any business could refuse to sell to a person of colour, but would risk the discrimination laws nor should they in an arbitrary and controlling manner discriminate against people who vape that is not respecting a large part of your customer base. Respect is a two way street. If any business wishes to build a loyal cutomer base this is not the way to do it. Now here is what I have today sent to the CEO of morissons. I will keep you posted as to how this progresses.

Sir,



    I understand you have a policy prohibiting the use of the above
devices , and write to protest in the strongest possible terms against it.

    As a regular customer of your facility at Foss Islands, York I am
apalled that such a diktat has been handed down from on high without
consultation

    or forewarning. I fully appreciate that I have no right to use
these devices, but by the same token nobody has any right to tell me not
to.  Let me make     it quite plain that I have never smoked a real
or e cigarette in a food outlet, but have in a cafe, it is this to which
I refer as the use of e cigarettes is     not illegal in enclosed public
spaces. I am aware that your organisation is now marketing these devices
as being legal to smoke anywhere, but would     suggest that you should not
be so disingenuous as to sell them as such when you operate such an outrageous policy on your premises.

    Recently at the above named branch, I used my device whilst
enjoying a cup of coffee in the cafe, as I had on several occasions
before, on the     previous occasions either nobody said anything,
or on three of them a staff member asked me to stop and I declined, only
on this last time did the     manager remonstrate with me stating this
policy. I told him that it was not illegal, was not causing any harm
or discomfort to anyone as I was only     emitting water vapour. As I was
not prepared to comply with this policy and stated that in law I must be given  time to finish the produce I had bought,     he attempted to
invoke the law of trespass. stating that he would have me removed by the
security staff if I did not comply. By this time and as I  was     in
"conversation" with him, I was merely holding the device in my hand and
not actually using it.  I made the point that in the first instance both
he and     Morrisons  seemed to think  they can control what
people can or cannot put in their mouths and now it appeared that were
now attempting to control     what people hold in their hands, it must be quite obvious that this is a completely ludicrous situation, you
might just as well tell a customer or indeed     employee not to chew their
pen top. I find it incredible that one of your  employees
should threaten the use of force and violence against any customer     going
about their lawful business.

    I was also given to understand, that this policy which he refused
to show me, was to prevent discomfort to other customers and that e
cigarettes were     easily mistaken for real cigarettes.  On the first point
as I have already stated, no discomfort can be detected from the
emission of water vapour, the     use of such devices does no harm to
anyone, how could it? On the second point, I cannot be held
responsible for what other people think, all anyone     has to do is ask and
they will be told what it is and what it does. People tend to jump to 
wrong conclusions, and in my view if they don't ask, they can
    remain in blissful ignorance, but their ignorance is their affair and
should not affect anyone else.  It is somewhat
patronising of you to seek to invoke     such a policy on behalf of all
staff and customers especially in such a dictatorial manner.

    This shopkeeper of yours also invoked such statements as " I am
just a shopkeeper, I don't need this", "I am only following company
policy", and "I'm     only doing my job". Where in  history have we
heard similar before? What's next "Were only doing this for your own
good", or perhaps "We know what's     best for you"  When do you intend to
invoke a policy of telling us what to buy and complete this
cycle of control by denying us the choice.

    I subsequently called your customer services only to be told that
"well it's just smoking really isn't it" I declined to argue with the
arrogant ignoramous     and demanded your contact details, but I do not
consider that kind of response as any form of service to customers.
Perhaps this person is in need of     some further training and information
to relieve his ignorant state.

    In conclusion this policy is ill conceived, dictatorial,
patronising, controlling, unnecessary, discriminatory, and largely
unenforceable. I therefore demand     to know when you intend to employ some
common sense and rescind it. You sir are denying individual freedom to a
large section of your customer base.



    I am,

    Yours in disgust



    Arthur Sutherland.