Monday, January 21, 2008

No Smoking...

In California we have a law prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of the entrance to any place of business. Unfortunately, I have found that some smokers, not all by any means, but many, are inconsiderate pricks.

It does not matter how many signs you post, how many times you ask them to move, or how many citations you write, there will always be some person standing within 5 feet of the entrance to whatever restaurant the "Smiths" go into, usually upwind as well, puffing away on a cancer stick and polluting the air for everyone who wishes to enter or exit. It torques me off to have to enter a business through a noxious cloud.

I firmly believe that you could paint a line on the ground at a 25 foot radius from the door, in neon colors no less... and paint the words "NO SMOKING" in fifteen languages along the length of that line, and there would still be some asshole with a cigarette standing inside that line anytime I want to enter or exit that particular business.

I have no actual, tangible proof of this, but I'd say the going thought is "I have the right to smoke, and if you don't like it, that's just too goddamned bad. I'm going to smoke when I want, where I want, and whatever I want. Lines, signs and whines be damned."

On occasion the business itself is just as much to blame as the smoker. A restaurant we somewhat regularly eat at in Dublin has two terra cotta pots filled with sand, which serve as ashtrays. That is, as far as I can tell, their intended use. The problem? They are two feet from either side of the front doors. So, where do the smokers stand? Right next to the ashtrays, of course.

Then there are the folks who take that one last drag before stubbing their butt, then they promptly walk inside and blow their cloud of smoke inside the business. You want to see me get really spun, do this one.

If you want to smoke, and kill yourself slowly, by all means, go right ahead. But please, don't try to take me with you. I kinda like my life, and I'd like to live it a little longer, okay? Thanks. Also, please don't think your "right to smoke" outweighs my right to breathe. There are laws in place for a reason. If you're just an inconsiderate asshole, as I have said in previous posts, I can't help you overcome that. But at the very least perhaps you could take my statements about your "inconsiderateness" at face value, and realize I am not trying to be insulting. Rather I am insulted.

As usual, do I have a low tolerance for inconsiderate assholes? Why, yes. As a matter of fact I do.

So, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

5 comments:

TheBronze said...

Yes, smokers are inconsiderate pricks!

I especially love it when they flick their butts out their windows, or just drop them where they smoke them.

Stay classy!

I f*cking HATE smokers!

P.S. What PC section is the 25' rule?

Officer "Smith" said...

I've always cited the muni code. Each city or county will have their own, and schools are covered under some Education Code section or by the policy of their respective administrators.

As for the flaming butts out the window... 23111VC (I love writing that).

TheBronze said...

20-4, that's what I was kinda thinking, I didn't think I saw anything in the Penal Code about it.

23111 is great but I seem to only see it when I'm in my POV!

Drat!

*Goddess* said...

When smoking was permitted in restaurants, I think Pizza Hut was one of the worst offenders. First of all, Pizza Huts in our area are all small. Secondly, you'd have the non-smoking section of the restaurant, and twenty feet away was the smoking section, not even a damn wall to separate the two. When they'd ask us which section we preferred, we'd always say, "Like it matters...." Nothing like eating a personal pan pizza with an extra helping of nicotine.

Officer "Smith" said...

I know the feeling there goddess. When we go to Reno, where smoking is still allowed everywhere, and we go into a restaurant it goes something like this:

Hostess - Would you like smoking or non-smoking?

Mrs. "Smith" - We'll take second hand please.

Up there, you're going to smoke 'em whether you want to or not.