You'd think there was enough of a stench hanging over the financial sector already without a national institution adding to it. But apparently not.
The Royal Bank of Scotland has a strict no smoking policy within its Dundas Street premises, meaning that staff wishing to commune with nature and the real world whilst enjoying a gasper must stand outside in all weathers.
This has the good effect of exposing them to the kindly financial advice of local taxi drivers, but it has the bad effect of forcing pedestrians to pass through nauseating smoors of blue tobacco smoke.
Even worse is the sickly-sweet reek of massed fag butts, lying together like so many squished promises largely gone up in smoke.
This afternoon, we counted in excess of 200. It was a disgusting experience.
Surely, the Royal Bank of Scotland – usually so image conscious and no slouch in parading its smart architectural pretentions in Edinburgh – can afford either to install closed bins of its own at the rear of the building, or to arrange for Council-owned ones to be emptied more often.
The present situation is intolerable.
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