Legal Smoke?

[iamironman]

Just wondering how the community treats this subject.
I just moved from a small town that had recently passed a city ordinance that "technically" you could get a ticket for smoking a cigarette INSIDE of your vehicle or even for smoking in your own front yard/front porch i.e. if you were sitting in your vehicle within 20 feet of the door/entrance of a business (restaurant, auto parts store, conveinience store,) a cop COULD give you a ticket for smoking, likewise, if you were to be smoking a cigarette on the lawn in your front yard or sitting on your own front porch and were within 20 feet of the sidewalk (public property) and there were 2 or more people "congregating" there, AND could SMELL your cigarette smoke, again, technically a cop COULD give you a ticket for this too. Now, the local cops and sheriff's dept said they would NOT enforce this, that they had much more important things to do than enforce this silly code, and since it was a city code ordinance, that the city code enforcement office (the guy that comes to your house if your grass grows to high and tells you to mow your lawn or get a ticket) was the entity that should be enforcing this ordinance. So, anyways whats your "choice"?

NOTE: I did do a search for this to see if it had been done already and could not find an instance, but, If I missed something and this was already done, sorry for the repeat.

_________________
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[MSHardeman]

I don't smoke at all and if you have a strange look on your face, much less a cigarette in your mouth, you're lucky to even get NEAR the VX.

I used to be deathly allergic to cigarette smoke so I'm a little biased, but I firmly believe that if you are in your own home or vehicle it is totally your decision whether you want black lung or not (smoke 'em if you got 'em).

Here in Colorado, at least my part, we have banned smoking in bars and other public places. I don't think that there is a ban on smoking outside, yet, but you know how us granola eating, tree hugging, mountain folk can be and I'm sure that it's not far behind.

Seriously, though, I don't believe that the government (or anyone else for that matter) has a right to tell you what to do with your own body in your own home. As long as you aren't hurting others with your behavior then have at it.

[JHarris1385]

I am a cigar enthusiast so yes I do smoke in the car at times, but not often and not even weekly.

[nfpgasmask]

You may not have found a smoking thread, but there are PLENTY of seatbelt threads out there that will have similar responses.

As for me, I have been quit for about 7-8 years now. I smoked in high school, through college and then quit being a "regular" smoker after college and only lit up when I was drinking/partying. Now, I am totally done with it, and I really don't like smelling it (my brother is living with me now and he smokes outside the house and it drives me nuts cause he reeks and the smell does get in the house).

All that said, if you want to kill yourself with smoking, by all means have at it. I think it is bs that a law can prohibit you from smoking on your own lawn or in your vehicle.

Smoking is bad for your health, indeed. But so is drinking cow milk, McDonalds, driving, sitting in front of the TV, and countless other common human activities. Why smoking has been attacked while all these other things are stil "OK" is beyond me. I think obesity and a sedentary life style is FAR worse for your health than smoking.

Personally, I like no smoking laws because I personally benefit from it, but like everything else, once one freedom is taken, more will get taken, and sooner or later it will impact a freedom I enjoy.

Bart

[WormGod]

I have smoked a few times in my VX, but usually only road trips or when REALLY stuck in traffic. I only smoke about 2-3 packs a week and even that has been getting scaled back. Eventually, I will have quit again.

Now, I can understand not smoking IN public establishments, but in MY car that I own, or outdoors on MY property.... fine me. See if I pay it. I show my respect by not smoking if NON smokers are around, as no cigarette is that important that I have to have one now and then, but to actually enforce a law of the grade that you are speaking, that is absurd. As long as I pay taxes and (unwillingly) pay these outrageous gov't salaries, they better uphold my Constitutional right to smoke. Our wig wearing forefathers have been rolling in their graves for far too long now. Had they known things would turn out this way, I think they would have thought twice about fighting for OUR independence.

Just my $.02.

[tysamigo]

I'm a smoker and enjoy it, although I hate what it's doing to my body.

My view is this and I raised this same issue with the Smoker's Ordinance here in Louisville KY when they decided to ban smoking from bars, restaurants (even the outside sitting sections), bingo halls, outdoor church picnics, etc when I attended the last meeting.

I certainly do ask each and every person near me if it's OK that I smoke before I fire one up, whether I know them or not...it's respectful of THEIR lungs. I do not smoke in my house because I have a house full of animals (im an animal lover) with 2 cats, 2 ferrits and a couple of birds and they don't have a choice in what they breathe so it's only fair. So I don't smoke in the house but I do smoke on the deck outside and in my VX.

If you are TRULY concerned about "smoke" and health benefits directly related from "smoke" then surely you need to see the BIG PICTURE. The "smoke" coming from the exhaust of YOUR car, your truck, your boat, your scooter, your moped, your ATV, your lawnmower, your weed trimmer, your chainsaw..(you get my point) is FAR FAR FAR FAR more worse than the smoke coming from my cig. In fact, the smoke from the said above is helping a great deal to destroy the very ecosystem that sustains life on earth.

So for an individual or group of people that would actually support such a law, in my opinion, should be also actively supporting a cleaner environment for EVERYTHING that lives here, not just humans. I have, however, not yet found such an individual.

Just my 2 cents...

By the way, of course I drive a VX and I know what it's doing to the environment HOWEVER I only drive it about 15miles per day total. And I'm VERY aggressive with recycling and composting nearly and truly almost EVERYTHING I use as a consumer. I also have replaced all lights (including accent lights) in my home with LEDs (not the flouresants), I get all my water needs from a well on the farm (do not use city water or sewers or trash removal) and I'm in the beginning stages of completely solarizing the home.

But for some reason I just can't get rid of the VX, not matter how much I love our planet... I'm actually hoping one day to make it a hybrid or fully electric

[LittleBeast]

You may not have found a smoking thread, but there are PLENTY of seatbelt threads out there that will have similar responses.

Bart, how true, how true!!!!! We should just post that thread here, because you are so right you might as well take out seat belt and replace with smoking.... lol.....

I personally have never smoked or drank anything and do not plan on it, and since I do not like the smell of Cigarette smoke (it really makes me sick to my stomach sometimes) I would not want someone smoking in a closed environment with me, but I have met my mentor at a cigar shop a few times, and my sister and her husband smoke while I am around and it doesn't bother me too much if we are outside. They do smoke but they never smoke in their cars or in their house.

[don moore]

i smoked for 30 years...I liked it ..but I had to stop... and now im ok with people that smoke ..no biggie,,but dont get near my VX.....

[tom4bren]

I don't smoke but wifey does. Since I bought the Proton for her - I can't very well tell her not to smoke in it. I chew tho so be careful if you ever pass me

[psychos2]

I do not smoke.I have no problem with others smoking, as long as I am not forced to smoke with them. I hate the fact that places do not enforce the so many feet from the door law. And I also do not like the BUTT flickers, If you smoke in your car put the butt in your ashtray. If you smoke in public throw the butt in the trash. shawn

[kodiak]

I’m all for smokers rights and I think the second hand smoke B/S is just that, but stay away from my VX!

[pbkid]

psychos2...i agree with you...i dont know why but nothing pisses me off more than having someone throw a cigarette out the window of their car in front of me....drives me nuts.....

and mark i agree with you...no one smokes anything near either of my cars...

when i road trip with people who smoke i would rather stop every hour and let them huff one down...

[kodiak]

Your right! Asthma and allergies aside, the fact that it stinks and it’s an eye and lung irritant. The line that states that second hand smoke directly kills people might have been true back when people smoked indoors but not now. The thing I can’t stand is the special treatment of smokers in the work place. But every time I see a new rule or restriction putt on smokers I see us going one step closer to 1984. Cigarette smoke smells like freedom.

What secondhand smoke B/S? It stinks like shiz, is that what you mean?

[CrnCnn]

My .02

I hate smoke. I actually get nauseous if I’m around it too long.

I hate the way people smell who have been smoking, especially when they want to talk to you too closely.

My father and his girlfriend smoke and I really only like to visit with them if its outside cause then I can breath and visit longer.

I also hate when people throw out there cigs on the ground.

My sense of smell is pretty good so i hate it when I sit next to them in traffic. Even with my windows up it stinks.

Basically I hate it all around.

[Cobrajet]

I have a dream to pick up a freshly flicked smoking butt from the sidewalk and flick it into the face of the person who just put it there! Haven't found a guy small enough yet though...

A couple decades ago I had this opportunity. I was riding my motorcycle home and just pulled up to a red light. This guy pulls up in the lane next to me, rolls down his window and flicks his cigarette on the ground in front of my bike. I rolled forward a couple feet, picked up the still smoking butt, and deposited it on his windshield. Of course he starts yelling, and the light changed, and I took off. He chased me down a back street and I found myself in a dead end. He jumped out of his car and flashes a badge at me...

I don't remember exactly what agreement we came to, but I didn't get arrested, and he didn't get fined for littering.

And, FWIW, I won't allow a cigarette within ten feet of my cars! (or my house, and my daughter is a smoker!)