For those of you who can't imagine that such a think is anything but hateful predjudice let me tell you-
There have been many times my wife and I have picked up our things and left or moved on a beach or in a park because a group or even a single person came and sat right beside us and lit up.
The smoke does not just disappear - it often going in a stream and if you are down wind it simply stinks horribly - like being beside a chemical plant or a refinery. Do you think that's what somebody comes to the beach to enjoy?
And in our city park there is simply a halo of cigerette butts around every bench. I rarely even see a smoker put it out when he flicks it away. In the fall you have patches of burnt grass where they are flicked out the window of cars along the road. How they keep the whole state from burning up in California amazes me.
In Michigan they rarely spread very far but how California keeps them from burning the whole state clear amazes me.
posted on March 21, 2004 09:48:41 PM new
"I just think there is a limit to what government should dictate to its citizens."
And I agree with that. I also think the agruments used by those anti-smoking people are bogus.
gravid - You and your wife moved. Like most people would do in a public place when they find anything annoying them.
But one person in your article has a dog. A dog playing around and in the process kicking up sand all over would be just as annoying to me. As would the dogs poop being all over the beaches. As would sitting next to someone playing a boombox.
There are many things that can bother someone when they're in a public place.
Then some speak to the issue of the mess and polution the 'butt's make. Give me a break....on a beach? The machines that clean the beaches pick up everything...all the soda cans/bottles/other trash all in one swoop. They don't have to go around hand picking up butts.
posted on March 22, 2004 04:15:14 AM new
I agree - most of the beaches I go to have signs posted not allowing dogs or glass.
In fact I was just down to Sanibel Island and they had a huge sign that was a whole 4' x 8' sheet of plywood with about two dozen rules for the beach on it. It's a shame you have to TELL these lunk heads how to act in a public place so others can enjoy it to. I get the impression some of these people just CAN'T enjoy themselves if they are not doing at least 3 or 4 things to irritate everyone around them.
posted on March 22, 2004 09:01:39 AM new
gravid - I hope you and your wife enjoyed your time on the island. Nice that you could get away for awhile.
Yes, thoughtfulness and consideration of others does, at times, seem to be a thing of the past.
Almost everyone who has come to visit since we moved here has commented on the lack of litter. It's that noticeable. For some reason people here still take pride in keeping their surroundings litter free. And that's a nice change from the way it was in the big cities.
