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New Yorkers Have Mixed Feelings About Ban on Smoking in Parks(edited)

Kali

Kali

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I will never visit New York ever as they are now making it where you cannot even smoke outside in public without being fined:(:roll: They do not have to worry about a $50 fine for me as they will never see a dime of mine and a lot of other pro-smokers tourism dollars. You can take that to the bank:2razz:




"Smoking has long been illegal in New York City bars and restaurants, including open-air restaurants, as well as in public transit, workplaces, schools and stores, among other places. On May 23rd, New York also joined 500 other U.S. municipalities that have banned smoking in parks and public squares. Under the new law, smokers who light up anywhere in New York’s more than 1,700 parks and pedestrian plazas, or along its 22 kilometers of beaches, could face a $50 fine."
New Yorkers Have Mixed Feelings About Ban on Smoking in Parks | USA | English
 
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Re: New York Hates Smokers

Yeah... I HATE smoking, but I think this law is REALLY stupid.
 
Smokers hate themselves.
There's no reason with what we know about smoking now to start or continue it- or for that matter -work mining asbestos.

NY is protecting the downwind rest of us, and hopefully making smoking inconvenient enough so that they'll quit.
 
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Re: New York Hates Smokers

CaptainCourtesy said:
Yeah... I HATE smoking, but I think this law is REALLY stupid.
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agreed

my father died of smoking induced cancer of the nasopharanx region (actually a MRSA killed him but that was from the trach tube)-Cigars was his vice

my mother died of an unholy combination of COPD, emphysema and pneumonia (that she refused to allow treatment for) from smoking a couple packs of L&Ms a day

I get anywhere near the stuff and my sinuses lock up

but I think diners or bars should have the right to allow smoking

do what I did before they passed that crap in Ohio

I didn't go into such places
 
Kali said:
I will never visit New York ever as they are now making it where you cannot even smoke outside in public without being fined:(:roll: They do not have to worry about a $50 fine for me as they will never see a dime of mine and a lot of other pro-smokers tourism dollars. You can take that to the bank:2razz:
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Smokers are likely to be poor. They either are too lazy or to filled with guilt over their vice to stand up for themselves. Many of them don't even want to be labeled as smokers and are going to quit any day now. I doubt the "pro-smokers tourism dollars" are going to influence anyone.

We tried some outreach to smokers in our local LP group back when I was active in that and these smoking bans got started. Virtually, no response whatsoever. They could have easily overwhelmed the anti-smokers if they wanted. Probably still could. They will not.
 
RStringfield said:
Smokers are likely to be poor. They either are too lazy or to filled with guilt over their vice to stand up for themselves.
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:roll:

Gross generalizaion much?

RStringfield said:
er. They could have easily overwhelmed the anti-smokers if they wanted. Probably still could. They will not.
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Maybe that little group, the anti-smokers, is perceived to them as too hostile and easily perturbed to risk being accused of being in favor of killing kids, or whatever hyperbolic crap anybody could come up with. Just a theory though.
 
If we're going to ban people from smoking outside, there's no excuse for allowing tobacco to be legal at all. It's a farce.
 
As a libertarian, I cannot support anti-smoking laws. Besides, this law is targeting outdoors, were smoke is quickly dissipated.
 
mbig said:
Smokers hate themselves.
There's no reason with what we know about smoking now to start or continue it- or for that matter -work mining asbestos.

NY is protecting the downwind rest of us, and hopefully making smoking inconvenient enough so that they'll quit.
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I happen to love myself very much.

Do the people that gorge themselves on crap food daily hate themselves too? Be careful what kind of Big Brother Crapola you support as they (gov) will come for all groups sometime if we allow this kind of thing:(
 
Kali said:
I happen to love myself very much.

Do the people that gorge themselves on crap food daily hate themselves too? Be careful what kind of Big Brother Crapola you support as they (gov) will come for all groups sometime if we allow this kind of thing:(
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This is the rub. I love how it's socially acceptable to insult and bully smokers, even in public, but if you tell someone who's 300lbs and eating a Big Mac to slow down you're a jerk.

This is just a stupid law. Assuming second-hand smoke studies aren't bias (which I don't since I think they might be - I have suspected this since I was 16 and was researching it for a report, long before I ever smoked, but we'll go with it), the effect of someone smoking outside is still a tiny, tiny fraction of the harm car exhaust causes. Utterly ridiculous and blatantly antagonistic. Social bullying at its worst.

This is for all intents and purposes yet another prohibition. Because prohibition has such a great history. All it will serve to do is make people even more likely to smoke, and less likely to quit.

Yeah, screw this. NYC is for yuppies now anyway. ;) Not getting any of my money, either.
 
xpiher said:
Besides, this law is targeting outdoors, were smoke is quickly dissipated.
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Exactly, christ people, if you don't like cigarette smoke and you're outside, move upwind, it's not that bloody difficult to figure out.
 
Kali said:
I happen to love myself very much.

Do the people that gorge themselves on crap food daily hate themselves too? Be careful what kind of Big Brother Crapola you support as they (gov) will come for all groups sometime if we allow this kind of thing:(
Click to expand...

And I love to smoke. Best habit ever. Damn Nico-fascists. Damn them to hell.
 
mbig said:
Smokers hate themselves.
There's no reason with what we know about smoking now to start or continue it- or for that matter -work mining asbestos.

NY is protecting the downwind rest of us, and hopefully making smoking inconvenient enough so that they'll quit.
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You, sir, are a nicophobe.
 
spud_meister said:
Exactly, christ people, if you don't like cigarette smoke and you're outside, move upwind, it's not that bloody difficult to figure out.
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Hell. Move three freaking feet away.

I swear, I was at an outdoor (and christian) concert a few years ago. I was standing along a wire fence on the perimeter separating the backstage area from the audience, many yards away from anyone. I expected and heard a few snide comments meant for me to hear by my christian brethren, but what I most remember was a golfcart carrying a well-known christian vocal group driving past. They had to be 20 yards away. Easy. They spotted me. I waved and smiled. One of them - swear to GOD! - made a stink face and waved her hand over her nose to signify my smoke bothered her. There was no possible way she could have smelled it. Or even seen it. She simply saw me holding a cigarette. And we were in a damn cow pasture for god's sake.
 
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LuckyDan said:
Hell. Move three freaking feet away.

I swear, I was at an outdoor (and christian) concert a few years ago. I was standing along a wire fence on the perimeter separating the backstage area from the audience, many yards away from anyone. I expected and heard a few snide comments meant for me to hear by my christian brethren, but what I most remember was a golfcart carrying a well-known christian vocal group driving past. They had to be 20 yards away. Easy. They spotted me. I waved and smiled. One of them - swear to GOD! - made a stink face and waved her hand over her nose to signify my smoke bothered her. There was no possible way she could have smelled it. Or even seen it. She simply saw me holding a cigarette. And we were in a damn cow pasture for god's sake.
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I had a guy try to hit me once. I was walking down the street. Saw a middle-aged man coming towards me. Moved to the side, cigarette to the side away from him and held down. I delayed taking a puff until he'd passed. This is what I always do when I'm passing people.

He looked at my cigarette, swerved towards me, and took a swing at my shoulder. Seriously. For reference, this was a 5'10-6'0 tall man weighing 250lbs, taking a swing at a then-20-year-old 5'4 girl who weighs all of 110 pounds. For smoking.

I dodged it. He was using a lot of force, but he was pretty slow. Too many Big Macs in that guy, I reckon.
 
MistressNomad said:
I had a guy try to hit me once. I was walking down the street. Saw a middle-aged man coming towards me. Moved to the side, cigarette to the side away from him and held down. I delayed taking a puff until he'd passed. This is what I always do when I'm passing people.

He looked at my cigarette, swerved towards me, and took a swing at my shoulder. Seriously. For reference, this was a 5'10-6'0 tall man weighing 250lbs, taking a swing at a then-20-year-old 5'4 girl who weighs all of 110 pounds. For smoking.

I dodged it. He was using a lot of force, but he was pretty slow. Too many Big Macs in that guy, I reckon.
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I have not had to dodge violence. Usually it's nothing more than snide comments. What whips them up into such a froth I wonder? Sorry you had to deal with that. Maybe the guy once had his ass kicked by a gang of girl smokers. He needs to, if not.
 
LuckyDan said:
I have not had to dodge violence. Usually it's nothing more than snide comments. What whips them up into such a froth I wonder? Sorry you had to deal with that. Maybe the guy once had his ass kicked by a gang of girl smokers. He needs to, if not.
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A sense of righteousness which has progressed to hatred, I suppose. It gives the general population someone to villify.

I've gotten plenty of the verbal abuse, too. I just don't take it anymore.
 
MistressNomad said:
A sense of righteousness which has progressed to hatred, I suppose. It gives the general population someone to villify.I've gotten plenty of the verbal abuse, too. I just don't take it anymore.
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True, which is why I think of anti-tobacco zealots as fascists. This is also not a bad example of political correctness.
 
MistressNomad said:
I had a guy try to hit me once. I was walking down the street. Saw a middle-aged man coming towards me. Moved to the side, cigarette to the side away from him and held down. I delayed taking a puff until he'd passed. This is what I always do when I'm passing people.

He looked at my cigarette, swerved towards me, and took a swing at my shoulder. Seriously. For reference, this was a 5'10-6'0 tall man weighing 250lbs, taking a swing at a then-20-year-old 5'4 girl who weighs all of 110 pounds. For smoking.

I dodged it. He was using a lot of force, but he was pretty slow. Too many Big Macs in that guy, I reckon.
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I am very anti-smoking, but the threat of the use of violance is way over the top. At the most, I would politely suggest that this is not a healthy habit and others don't want to smell your smoke, but to take a swing at you... that is definately not acceptable...
 
You guys realize, I hope, that New York City is not the only municipality seeking to protect the rights of non-smokers in public spaces. Something like 500 cities have done the same thing, including Boston. Smokers have to understand that the rest of us really don't want to smell their crap when we are enjoying a family outing with the kids at the park or the beach. I would not object to special zones for smoking, but most smokers I know and see simply do not seem to care that we, the majority, don't want to put up with their crap.

I have, after quite a long time of dealing with the bad attitude of smokers, come to the conclusion that tobacco should be criminalized. Ban the garbage. It serves no useful purpose anyway...
 
ludahai said:
I am very anti-smoking, but the threat of the use of violence is way over the top. At the most, I would politely suggest that this is not a healthy habit and others don't want to smell your smoke, but to take a swing at you... that is definitely not acceptable...
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I would suggest it's not anyone's place to tell me it's an unhealthy habit. We know. It's not like we mistake a pack of cigarettes for a serving of fruit.

Like I said, I don't walk up to fat people chowing down and tell them they should really consider their health.

I am very conscientious about how much my smoking is affecting others. Some people prefer not to be around it, and I prefer to smoke alone - it's unwinding time for me. I don't give people a reason to tell me I'm interfering with their space of their wishes.

I don't want to smell car exhaust. I don't want to smell sewers. I don't want all kinds of things. Still not my place to publicly shame people.

Although I recognize this is a far more moderated view than taking a swing, and I appreciate your recognition of how wrong that is, I still must disagree.

Has it occurred to you smokers have a bad attitude people people think it's ok to antagonize them?
 
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ludahai said:
You guys realize, I hope, that New York City is not the only municipality seeking to protect the rights of non-smokers in public spaces. Something like 500 cities have done the same thing, including Boston. Smokers have to understand that the rest of us really don't want to smell their crap when we are enjoying a family outing with the kids at the park or the beach. I would not object to special zones for smoking, but most smokers I know and see simply do not seem to care that we, the majority, don't want to put up with their crap.

I have, after quite a long time of dealing with the bad attitude of smokers, come to the conclusion that tobacco should be criminalized. Ban the garbage. It serves no useful purpose anyway...
Click to expand...

Oh. Well. Hell. If 500 cities have done it, then it must be the right thing to do.

The mayor of Dallas was asked why he wanted to, as he put it, "strengthen the smoking ban." He said other cities are doing it and Dallas should be no different. That was it. "All the kids are doing it."

The smokers who have posted thus far have described personal experiences where we have gone out of our way to avoid bothering non-smokers, and have still had to put up with nonsense, and in Nomad's experience, the threat of violence.

Because you don't like the smell? Are there no other outdoor odors you find unpleasant? A passing bus, perhaps? A garbage can?

Get a grip.
 
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MistressNomad said:
I would suggest it's not anyone's place to tell me it's an unhealthy habit. We know. It's not like we mistake a pack of cigarettes for a serving of fruit.

Like I said, I don't walk up to fat people chowing down and tell them they should really consider their health.
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I actually DO make that suggestion to people I know as well as to my students. However, there is an important difference. When you smoke, you are releasing smoke that everyone in your vicinity can smell. This is typically not the case with people eating junk food. Even I eat a bag of Doritos on occasion, but no one is going to accuse me of not being fit and healthy...

I am very conscientious about how much my smoking is affecting others. Some people prefer not to be around it, and I prefer to smoke alone - it's unwinding time for me. I don't give people a reason to tell me I'm interfering with their space of their wishes.
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I am glad you are conscious of the fact that many of us don't want to be influenced by your poison. Please teach your fellow smokers the same consideration.

I don't want to smell car exhaust. I don't want to smell sewers. I don't want all kinds of things. Still not my place to publicly shame people.
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Nor do I. Government has the right to regulate it and it should be more strictly regulated than it is. However, remember that cars and other automotive transportation serve a vital part of our economy. Tobacco simply does not serve that same purpose. Similarly, sewers are a vital public function. Smoking is not.

Although I recognize this is a far more moderated view than taking a swing, and I appreciate your recognition of how wrong that is, I still must disagree.

Has it occurred to you smokers have a bad attitude people people think it's ok to antagonize them?
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If you respect my rights as a non-smoker, I am not going to antagonize you. I save that for smokers who choose to light up in places where non-smokers are congregating, in places where it is illegal, and in places where there are many children around.
 
States benefit from smokers. This is from an anti-tobacco website

Put simply, the increased tax per pack brings in more new state revenue than is lost from the related reductions in the
number of packs sold and taxed in the state. Moreover, the substantially higher revenue levels enjoyed by
those states that significantly increase their cigarette tax rates persist over time (while the cost savings from
the related smoking declines grow rapidly).
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Take a look at the revenue these states brought in from taxing smokers.

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0098.pdf

The cig tax is the golden goose. Thank a smoker.
 
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