I will smoke just to be spiteful now

[threeplusfire]

I would just like to give a big hearty FUCK YOU to the City Council of Austin for passing a smoking ordinance that will ban smoking everywhere except pool halls. Pool halls? What the fuck?

Don't fucking legislate my perfectly legal self destructive behaviour thank you very much. And expect some hateful furious emails tomorrow Council people. I'm out for blood.

How long til Metro gets a pool table I wonder?

Comments

Another voice

[ekatarina.livejournal.com]

I am afraid I am going to have to agree with puella on this one.

I have allergies and asthma. Usually they do not bother me, but the wrong brand of cigarettes (usually American ones, actually) can put me on my knees coughing and choking. I have passed out on the front steps of a mall, I collapsed wearing a "running around Europe-sized" backpack at an Irish ferry terminal as a guy was smoking right under the "No Smoking" sign.

I think anyone can do whatever "self-chosen self-destructive" activities they want, as long as it does not effect me. tsarina if I even visited I would expect to have to accommodate you smoking in your own house because that is your private space. I would take drugs, not go if I felt in the least sick, and be ready to leave if I started reacting. I *do* have a problem if I cannot enter my favourite store, or such places as hospitals and banks because of the gauntlet of smokers out by the doors.

So that is my tuppence.

Ekatarina

Re: Another voice

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Well, marginalizing the smokers and pushing them out of places isn't going to help much. Such a ban won't force people to stop smoking entirely. It will just drive them out on the street.

I don't mind having seperate spaces for nonsmoking and smoking when dining out and such, I suppose because I've just gotten too used to it. But banning a perfectly legal behaviour bothers me.

Re: Another voice

[ekatarina.livejournal.com]

I agree with separate spaces if they are effective. I used to do a lot of cross country driving, and eating in a Denny's is fine, as long as I don't have to go to the bathroom. In most US Denny's, I have to walk through the smoking section to get there. If they switched the sections, then I'd be perfectly fine.

As for reactions in general, if I am going somewhere there is likely to be smoking, I'll drug myself up (expensive, and I get dizzy and see things that aren't always there) or not go (erg). If I am walking down the street and I pass a smoker and cough, choke, spit up blood and pass out (only happened twice but it is sucky) I am going to be annoyed. I can't avoid that sort of contact.

So I don't mind whatever you do, as long as I have the choice of participating or not.

You comments about being adults about the whole thing I also agree with. If everyone was an adult then we'd have far far fewer problems. Unfortunately polite smokers like you are affected by the actions of those who throw lit butts out car windows in gas stations (yes, something *did* explode) littering, or stubbing out butts on a jacket when asked if they would be so kind as to move of stop smoking under the no-smoking sign.

Sigh.

In any case, I'd still love to meet you. I'll stand on the balcony or up-wind. That's perfectly fine by me.

Ekatarina