No smoking....

[VenomX]

I didn't want to hijack christopherius thread so heres my own...

Here in Pennsylvania they passed a law that took effect on September 11th 2008 that you can not smoke in most public places.

Now it was on TV, radio, and in the papers. We use to allow smoking since we are a cigarette shop, the law changed that. We have a No Smoking sign on the door and people still act surprised when we tell them they can not smoke in the store.

Do people not read the paper? Watch TV? Listen to the radio?

No I will not ignore your cigarette and sell you a pack of smokes. I don't care if it will just be a few seconds. I know we use to allow you to smoke. If the person going around looking for violations would walk in and see you then we BOTH get a $250 fine. Take the dang thing outside and put it out then come back in. You will not die if you don't have a burning cigarette hanging out of your mouth for a "few seconds".

I had one lady argue with me that my coworkers were smoking inside when she was in yesterday. I told her that if they wanted to pay $250 then they can but I can't afford it. She just stood there looking at me. I told her to take it outside or I would call the police to come and remove her permanently from the property.

She gave me a catbutt face look and tossed it out the door.

And yes I have told these people that they are not worth $250 to me and to take it outside, NOW!

Yes I am a smoker and I go outside in the freezing cold and smoke. I don't like the law but I can not afford to pay $250 if caught breaking the law.

One guy told me that we need to put a sign up or something. I looked at him and said theres one right on the door, learn to read!

[Greenday]

Hah, the Smoking in Public Places Ban in PA is a joke. Whether you agree with it or not, it doesn't matter. The cops don't enforce it. I live on a college campus. A state school. It's considered a public place. Doesn't stop the smokers from lighting up at the entrances to all the buildings anyway, because they all know that none of the cops in PA will ticket them for it. Shouldn't make laws if you never plan on enforcing them.

Now, if I go home to NJ, you'll get fined in no time. Owners of bars and restaurants will kick you straight out for lighting up inside. They don't want to pay the fines.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Some bar&grills here ignore the No Smoking Where Food Is Served ban, but the police aren't trolling around looking for people smoking in these places.

I'm just glad I can go to a restaurant without having in inhale floating cancer (no offense to the smokers on the board).

[KnitShoni]

Some bar&grills here ignore the No Smoking Where Food Is Served ban, but the police aren't trolling around looking for people smoking in these places.

I'm just glad I can go to a restaurant without having in inhale floating cancer (no offense to the smokers on the board).

Personally? None taken. I really don't want to have to smell smoke while I'm trying to eat.

As far as whether the law is enforced or not, it'd be just my luck that I'd let someone come in with a lit cig, and THAT would be the day they decided to crack down.

[blas]

I'm a smoker, but I don't understand why someone would feel the absolute dire NEED to have a cigarette while they spend 2-3 minutes tops in a store. I really don't get it. I may be hopelessly addicted, but I can go a few minutes without a cigg. For pete's sake.

[Nyoibo]

Do people not read the paper? Watch TV? Listen to the radio?

I don't, so I'd be ignorant of a law like that, but then again I can read signs, and I don't smoke.

[VenomX]

Hah, the Smoking in Public Places Ban in PA is a joke. Whether you agree with it or not, it doesn't matter. The cops don't enforce it. I live on a college campus. A state school. It's considered a public place. Doesn't stop the smokers from lighting up at the entrances to all the buildings anyway, because they all know that none of the cops in PA will ticket them for it. Shouldn't make laws if you never plan on enforcing them.

They plan to. According to the local paper there is now someone going around to make sure places enforce the new law.

Like KnitShoni it would be my bad luck when I stopped enforcing the no smoking...

[PepperElf]

while NY itself doesn't have a ban on public smoking.... SUNY does. So now every single college or university associated with the State University of New York system has a ban on public smoking.

not sure how well it's enforced yet... I'll find out when I start this semester

[germunster]

Anti-Smoking Law Enforcement? Ha!

As Elaine Boosler once said, "The cops can't even enforce murder laws!"
Cop: "Did you do it? Did you kill him?"
Suspect: "Yeah, but I wasn't smoking at the time."
Cop: "Well, all right then."

[Sheldonrs]

"One guy told me that we need to put a sign up or something. I looked at him and said theres one right on the door, learn to read!"


I'll bet there's no sign on your door that says you can't kill anyone but THAT law still has to be obeyed too.

[HawaiianShirts]

I don't smoke. I don't care if other people smoke as long as they are considerate enough (or, as in the case of the OP, observant and intelligent enough) to notice the No Smoking signs. But this:

She gave me a catbutt face look and tossed it out the door.

really makes me mad.

Perhaps someone here can enlighten me. Why is it acceptable for smokers to drop their cigarette butts onto the ground or fling them out of car windows? I have had jobs where I was occasionally required to clean up the smokers' trash outside the shop, which I certainly didn't appreciate. And once I had a pretty good scare when someone driving next to me tossed his smoldering butt out his window only to have it virtually explode in a shower of orange sparks in the middle of my windshield.

[Librarybabe]

Not just SUNY...

In 1992, New York State enacted the Clean Indoor Air Act that banned the smoking of tobacco products in public buildings and most offices. My SUNY campus will begin enforcing the "no smoking within 100 feet of a building entrance" this semester. All buildings on campus are already "smoke-free" due to the aforementioned Clean Indoor Air Act.
I've heard that there's a movement afoot to BAN smoking on campus entirely. I doubt that will occur.
Interestingly, it only took about a year or so for the CIAA to be widely observed, and for the kvetching by tavern keepers to die down. The cocktail seems to be mightier than the Marlboro

[malmalthekiller]

Yeah, that law is a joke.

On campus, they took out all of the outside ash trays, but when they saw all the cigarettes littered everywhere, they put them back within a few days.

And I was walking to class last semester, and a girl was sitting outside on the steps smoking. An older lady walked up to her and said "you know, smoking is banned on campus now," and the girl just gave her a blank look and kept smoking.

Campus police don't enforce it.

It doesn't bother me, I don't smoke.

[Lace Neil Singer]

really makes me mad.

Perhaps someone here can enlighten me. Why is it acceptable for smokers to drop their cigarette butts onto the ground or fling them out of car windows? I have had jobs where I was occasionally required to clean up the smokers' trash outside the shop, which I certainly didn't appreciate. And once I had a pretty good scare when someone driving next to me tossed his smoldering butt out his window only to have it virtually explode in a shower of orange sparks in the middle of my windshield.

Throwing out of a car window; unacceptable. I ride a motorbike and don't particularly want a hot butt hitting me. As for chucking them on the floor; I'm guilty of this when I'm not thinking, but I do try to use the bins when provided. What's just as bad to me is all the people flinging wads of gum on the floor. -.-

[Sheldonrs]

... I ride a motorbike and don't particularly want a hot butt hitting me....-.-

I guess we're even then. I often ride a hot butt and I know I'd hate it if a motorbike hit me.