Hey Smokers: I Hate You

What a great end to a good day, and i get to thank smokers for it!

I have never really absorbed Los Angeles. You know, really walked the streets, taken it all in, eaten in the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, experienced all the beautiful neon chaos that comes together in this place. Ive never visited the kitschy little new age, hipster, and ethnic shops, seen the landmarks, etc.. I've never people-watched, babe-watched, bum-watched, and at the end of the evening RPGwatched on my pc in a seedy LA motel. I've passed thru, but never really experienced Los Angeles until today. I could have left early, my business trip requirements have been met, but I just felt I needed to hang out here in LA for the day and tonite. I needed to experience Los Angeles, and after an evening of LA I can say that I truly have. People cut down LA, well you know what - I like Los Angeles. It has a distinct culture and feel that you find nowhere else. I cant wait to come back.

One thing the motel manager made clear when checking in was a solid "no smoking" policy, I even had to sign a pledge specifically stating that i would not smoke in my room. To my chagrin, I'm walking down the hall to my room and i smell the telltale acrid reek of the smoker. Flippant as ever, inconsiderate as ever, here in the forbidden zone.

I sigh to myself, sliding my key card in the door. Who knows what room it is, even if i wanted to narc them off I couldnt. Just then, the stubby manager rounds the corner and brushes past me, sniffing along the hall as he goes. This guy obviously is experienced when it comes to rooting out these slobs, he nailed it. He starts banging on a door down the hall, and 5 minutes he's got them headed out the door w/ their luggage, threatening to call the cops if they give him any shit!

Oh they griped, they muttered, they begged, but it didnt matter, they signed that paper and somewhere it must state "thou shalt not, else..". So they left. Out on their ear. Later pigs, we have enough smog as it is around here. Get lost.

Fuck yeah, I love LA

Not that I appreciate your vindictiveness, but if they checked into that place and signed the paper, they had it coming to them.

I personally never smoked (well except at a ew partys), but it's my plan that when I hit 75 or so, I'll start smoking the pipe. I'll grow a bushy grey beard, sit on my front porch with my pipe, and tell everyone to get off my lawn.

Originally Posted by GhanBuriGhan
Not that I appreciate your vindictiveness, but if they checked into that place and signed the paper, they had it coming to them.

I personally never smoked (well except at a ew partys), but it's my plan that when I hit 75 or so, I'll start smoking the pipe. I'll grow a bushy grey beard, sit on my front porch with my pipe, and tell everyone to get off my lawn.

Then make fireworks and blow elaborate smoke rings?

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Then make fireworks and blow elaborate smoke rings?

That may be even better than yelling "get off the lawn" - good idea! I think I'll fail at blowing smoke-ships, though, not having millenia to practice…

I tell you, los Angeles freeways are at once exhilarating and terrifying. It's like an attraction in itself.

If I do have a disappointment with LA, and I do indeed have a couple of them, it's the amazing dearth of roadside taco shops. You can't swing a stick in San Diego without hitting a Mexican food place staffed by family of illegals. And it's some of the best damn food you'll ever eat. It's enough to make the staunchest right wing anti-immigration fanatic pause and think a minute. Yeah they are flooding our schools and jails, but have you tasted that Carne Asada?

I think my other big disappointment is the Hollywood walk of stars, It's pretty much a bunch of stars lining the sidewalk of skid Row. Not very glamorous at all.

Make sure to check out Venice Beach on the weekend. Lot's of street performers to check out.

Oh yeah, I forgot all about that, Venice Beach is legendary. Thinking about heading back up in a couple weeks, we definitely have to put that on the schedule.

Don't know if anyone else has posted this, but in the uk childhood asthma admissions / diagnoses have dropped by nearly 20% since the smoking ban.

Now if we could just stop people smoking at bus stops, as they walk along the street etc . . .

Originally Posted by Benedict
…Now if we could just stop people smoking at bus stops, as they walk along the street etc . . .

That's a bit extreme (assuming you were not joking, if you were disregard this). Exposure is usually short and concentration low outside -> little/no health effects. The smell is bad, and personally I very much want to avoid it. But banning it is a bit harsh.

Again, if you were joking, ignore my post.

The reduction in asthma admissions is good news.

pibbur who usually holds his breath whenever a smoker approaches.

I understand righteous indignation about smoking but how about some frigging righteous indignation about drinking?

Originally Posted by zahratustra
I understand righteous indignation about smoking but how about some frigging righteous indignation about drinking?

I'm righteously indignant that I drank all my beer yesterday and have none left for today!

When drinkers start chucking their beers onto me from across the restaurant and getting it mixed into my water whether I want it or not I'll be as upset with them as with smokers.

Originally Posted by BillSeurer
When drinkers start chucking their beers onto me from across the restaurant and getting it mixed into my water whether I want it or not I'll be as upset with them as with smokers.

Exactly. When the public smoking bans came about in Texas, a lot of people went on about their personal rights and how it wasn't fair that people could drink while they can't smoke. Easy way to shut them up was something like this: When you can get Cirrhosis from my drinking, I'll shut up about your second hand smoke.

I have a particular distain for smokers because the vast majority of my in-laws are hard core chain smokers. We're talking 2-3 packs a day. I suffered through it before, but now that I have a 16 month old daughter, I've made it pretty damn clear that there will be no smoking around her. My wife was nervous as hell going home for Christmas. Thankfully, her parents had fumigated the house and my MIL confined her smoking to the laundry room. FIL wasn't quite as good about it, but not too bad. Only bad time was when they had a big group over to watch the Cowboys game and everyone of them lit up. Our daughter said hello then went down for about a 3 1/2 hour nap at them point.

For a while we were having a problem with people smoking in front of our condo. The intake for the HVAC for our unit is right near the front steps, so we were getting smoke just pumped into our unit. Thankfully, I'm on the condo board!

It truly is a disgusting habit with serious health consequences. I really can't see how any educated person in this day and age still lights up.

Originally Posted by pibbur who
That's a bit extreme (assuming you were not joking, if you were disregard this). Exposure is usually short and concentration low outside -> little/no health effects. The smell is bad, and personally I very much want to avoid it. But banning it is a bit harsh.

Again, if you were joking, ignore my post.

The reduction in asthma admissions is good news.

pibbur who usually holds his breath whenever a smoker approaches.

I'm not so sure that's too extreme.

I can't go in public naked , I couldn't go to the bathroom outside even if I dispose of it properly afterwards like you would a pet, I can't just throw my trash on the ground or out my car window like most smokers throw their cigarette butts.( I know several smokers and very few of their car ashtrays have ever had a cigarette in them) Where I live I could even be ticketed for my muffler or car music being too loud due to noise ordinance.

All of these are illegal because they are public nuisances I don't think it would be a stretch to consider smoking a public nuisance.

As for drinking I don't support that either. We do have public intoxication laws, although you really have to go overboard to actually see it enforced. I don't hardly ever drink and can't remember the last time I was drunk but will admit I have a higher tolerance for drinkers than I do smokers, except when a drunk idiot wants to get behind the wheel.

Originally Posted by BillSeurer
When drinkers start chucking their beers onto me from across the restaurant and getting it mixed into my water whether I want it or not I'll be as upset with them as with smokers.

Visit one of the pubs in London (or Manchester, or Glasgow) on Friday night…

Originally Posted by BillSeurer
When drinkers start chucking their beers onto me from across the restaurant and getting it mixed into my water whether I want it or not I'll be as upset with them as with smokers.

Are you saying alchohol doesn't influence how people treat others?

Treating is different than health risks.

Besides, we NEED alcohol. How else would ugly people reproduce?

So, when people assault each other over nothing because they're drunk, it's different from a health risk how exactly?

And how about driving while intoxicated? And how many wifes/kids were battered because their father had a cigarette?

Originally Posted by sakichop
I don't hardly ever drink and can't remember the last time I was drunk but will admit I have a higher tolerance for drinkers than I do smokers…

And why is that I wonder?

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
So, when people assault each other over nothing because they're drunk, it's different from a health risk how exactly?

What would you estimate the percentage of people that get in assaults while drunk is to people who drink? 0.00001%?

On the other hand, most doctors agree that exposure to ANY level of 2nd hand smoke is unhealthy.

So they aren't even remotely in the same ball park as to health risks.

This is what we call a strawman argument.