Smokers = Owned
 

NEXT: NO CIGS IN YOUR CAR

By KENNETH LOVETT

September 22, 2003 -- ALBANY - Smoking even in the privacy of your own car could be banned under one of at least five state bills introduced in the past year to limit where a person can light up.
From public beaches to carnivals to a person's private vehicle, the legislation would make it more difficult for smokers to take a drag.

Pro-smoking forces fear the ultimate goal of some lawmakers is to ban cigarettes and cigars completely in New York.

"This is a well-planned strategy to essentially eradicate tobacco use using back-door methods," said Audrey Silk, co-founder of the New York City-based pro-smokers group CLASH.

"This is completely about controlling one group of people using a legal product," Silk added.

But the sponsors of the bills deny such intent. They said each anti-smoking bill has its own merit, including protecting children, helping New York businesses, and reducing litter.

"With concern for public health, I would be pleased [if smoking were banned], but that's not what we're doing," said Assemblyman Alexander "Pete" Grannis, the Legislature's leading anti-smoking advocate and a sponsor of many of the pending bills.



Grannis (D-Manhattan) said bills like those outlawing smoking in cars with kids on board and banning the sale of more affordable small packs of cigarettes are designed to protect children.

And he insists his bill to ban smoking at parks and beaches is meant to cut down on litter.

But some of his legislative colleagues question where you draw the line.

"There are those who would like to ban smoking outright," said Sen. Elizabeth Little (R-Queensbury). "It's government coming in pretty strong on people's lives and choices."

And smokers fear it's just a matter of time until a lawmaker introduces legislation to prohibit smoking inside the home by using secondhand smoke as an excuse.

"They're turning this into a dictatorship," said upstate bar owner Brenda Perks. "They're going right back to the Hitler days."

doesn't affect me.... I don't smoke in my home or my car anyway.

yes, I am a smoker.

hrm.... i don't think they can get away with that, can they?

true dat, for some reason i can't stand my house or car smelling like smoke. i'd rather smoke in a blizzard than in my house.

depends on what the vehicle is used for. If it is a commercial vehicle, yes, they can. If it's your own property, fuck 'em. They can't do shit.

Once they eliminate smoking what will be the next tax gravy train?

water.

actually that depends too, doesn't it? i mean, 'commercial' would imply non-public as well. i could see them doing that in public vehicles, but that's pretty much the case there anyways, isn't it?

but i doubt they could impose a mandatory smoking ban in a private trucking firm... i mean, that's almost private. you'd think only the company could dictate that.

Could be..

I see they are considering now going after seatle coffee drinkers..

in nebraska there's already like a $.60+ tax on cigarettes. makes you wonder what those smokes you can buy for $1.10 are really made of...

they banned radar detectors in commercial vehicles.... including private trucking firms.

Still building my stockpile. The new revolution is near. Vote 'YES' to guns. You'll need them soon.

you're talking about the DOT here.... they can do virtually any damn thing they want with commercial vehicles. The companies will comply. They have no choice.

so glad i live in the land of the free

Fucking retarded. Land of the free - oops scratch that.

also not a problem... take three steps into the water and smoke away.

that's true, and in some states they're completely illegal, no matter what you drive.

although one could make the argument that the radar detectors are an aid in breaking existing laws, whereas cigarettes aren't.

well, then i guess you could argue that for cigarettes in your vehicle as well...

Except during low tide you would have to walk a mile to have a smoke.. LOL

completely false. That's the argument they prefer to use, but it's simply not true. The radar detector only provides detection of a radar unit. It's not making anyone drive faster or break any laws. They do that of their own free will.

And while I know that radar detectors are completely useless against an Instant On trap, and I would certainly never waste perfectly good money on one... I still don't believe they should be illegal. It's a product that you can legally buy.... but if you turn it on.... or in the case of a commercial vehicle, even possess it inside the vehicle.... you're breaking the law.

wow thats a government with way too much power, police state..........next they take your guns, i bet bush read hitlers book:thumbsup

plenty of places already where it's illegal to own a gun. You living in a cave or something?

i completely agree with you.

but, i don't remember _which_ states, but in many, it's illegal for _anyone_ to posses a radar detector. that's why they made the detector detector-proof units, and systems such as the k40, which can be completely concealed in the vehicle.


although, if you want to spend a lot of money, and put a lot of work into your vehicle, you _can_ make it pretty damn hard for the police to tag you. but, we're talking a few thousand dollars, a lot of electronics, and a new paint job.

as hard as they try, they will never be able to take all our guns. have you seen the recent bill proposals in congress? they're trying very hard, by trying to pass off guns that are known not to be used in violent crimes as they are, and get them banned.

they keep going, and they will break the camel's back. no doubt about that.

Fuck this fucking government, first they force you to wear a seat belt or you'll get a $300 ticket in cali now and it counts for a point, and now they wanna tell us we can't fucking smoke in the car that we fucking by!

jDoG

Are you that guy who was in that iroc camaro radio clip that was posted on here about a month ago?

noooo... and i didn't listen to it either. why?

They can't out law that, it's against the 2nd Amendment - The rights to bear arms! I'd like to see them do it!

jDoG

Just messing with ya..

Seeing your name and you talking about cars reminded me of that clip.

If the search feature worked I would find it for you

Virginia is one of them... can't remember if Illinois was across the board or not... been a while since I was out on the road.

as far as the electronics go... most of that shit is rumors. The so-called "jammers", like the Eclipse... runs $400+ I think.... complete waste of money. Lot's of stories out there about various things.... most of them don't work at all. And the ones that do, aren't hard to spot. If you're cruising through Virginia with a concealed detector at a smooth 90mph... the trooper's gonna know it's you unless you're in a very large group of other vehicles doing the same speed.

The Fish Finder. Popular urban legend. Lot's of people believed by using a fish finder (which is sonar) will jam a radar signal. Haven't actually seen one work yet.

The radar absorbing paint. Again.... even if this stuff does really work.... if a trooper is hitting you with radar, and it's not coming back...? Whatchu think he's gonna think....

The cops have the definate advantage. I used to go out with my brother and sit shooting the shit in the middle of the night while parked behind some bushes. Waiting....
The minute a car came by.... BLAM! Instant on. Clocks your speed in a split second. And even if your radar detector goes off... you're speed is already locked in. Ticket time.

been to New York?

ahh.. it's all good. it seems if someone owns a camaro, particularly a 3rd gen, they're instantly an uneducated redneck bastard :)

kinda like "all french are pussies"

im talking about america, americans think a gun is a right, its just an example, smoking is a freedom not a privlidge to be handed out by the government, so if they can take it away, its an invasion, they own you

i'm talking about america too.... you in the twilight zone or something on this?

well, all that stuff is a long shot, but every little bit helps.

and actually, if you take advantage of traffic appropriately, you can actually outwit a lot of the older radar systems, without the use of electronics.

the nice thing is tho, at least around here, if the police are strictly using radar or laser-based electronics, it makes it a lot more difficult for them to make a case against you. granted, they can do anything they want to you on the side of the road, but around here you can get out of tickets a good % of the time asking them to prove it.

and of course, if they're using the vascar or whatever they call it, you're fucked anyways because it's not radar based.

nothing is fool proof, but if you're really into speeding a lot (which i've personally grown out of), every little bit helps.

I'm a very pro freedom person, but the article does bring up an interesting point: Reducing litter.

Ever noticed the amount of butts on the ground no matter where you walk on a public street? In most parks even you can't sitdown on the grass without a towel/blanket these days because of cigarette butts.

It sucks. Something should be done, in my opinion. Not sure if this is the right route tho.

people are fucking lazy and disrespectful. It has nothing to do with smoking. I smoke and if I'm outside or on the beach, I snub the shit out and put the butt in my pocket so I can throw it away later. I also put bottle and cans in a bag I bring with me, and carry the shit out to throw away.

If you ban cigarettes to reduce litter, then you need to ban candy, potato chips, Pepsi, Coke, beer, bottled water, and fast food too. Stupidity is not exclusive to smokers. Plenty of worthless non-smokers out there too.

i made that law for people smoking in my car

Aha, very interesting....
And what they'll do if I smoke in my own fuckin' toilet while I'm shit? :glugglug

Well, I am glad I quit last year...it was becoming a real headache, esp here in Southern Cali

that's shitty. me, being originally from cali (and will go back to cali) will wind up doing whatever new york does....cali and new york always tend to mirror each others actions..

however, given that i currently live in south korea, i smoke wherever, whenever... and cigs are only $1 USD :D

forget the cigarettes and stick to WEED!!!!!!!!

The only problem i have with people smoking in the car is the throwing away of the butts on the road.

I freaking hate it when you drive at night and some fucker slings a hot cig butt out the window. looks like a flaming fire ball thats about to hit your car.

Ever looked down an intersection turning lane curb? disgusting what smokers do

The first piece of major federal legislation addressing illegal dumping and litter was signed by President Johnson on Oct. 22, 1965. The Highway Beautification Act was the first step in America's ongoing campaign to clean up its major roadways. Today, programs like Adopt-A-Highway have gone a long way toward eliminating what President Johnson called "the blight of some of America's most expensive roadways."

No federal legislation specifically addresses illegal dumping in America's cities and towns or along rural roadways. The feds have rules in place that deal with the illegal disposal of toxic materials, but the problems associated with rural and urban roadside litter and illegal dumping of common household wastes remains a local issue.

Arguably, America's illegal dumping problem is getting worse. Also worthy of debate is whether or not other pieces of federal legislation, such as RCRA Subtitle D., have exacerbated the illegal dumping problem.

Local governments are coping the best they can:

? The City of Fort Worth, Texas, for example, reports that since 1993, more than 300,000 cubic yards of debris and 250,000 tires have been removed from roadsides and illegal dump sites throughout the city. The city currently spends approximately $1 million annually to combat illegal dumping.

? Counties in north central Texas have developed a "Top Ten Most Least Wanted" list of illegal dumpsites in each county in the region. Developed as a public outreach tool, the top ten list project hopes to raise public awareness on illegal dumping issues by putting the general addresses of properties where illegal dumping is a problem. The hope is that citizens will feel the impact that illegal dumping has on their lives when they see how close illegal dumping may be to their own homes.

? California has a rigorous set of illegal dumping laws on the books, but the problem is with enforcement. Illegal solid waste disposal sites have grown in numbers, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. The Board has issued several Local Enforcement Advisory notices to local governments, telling them what to look for and listing the criteria for an illegal disposal site, which can include any of the following:

? The presence of large volumes of waste
? Evidence of buried waste
? The presence of excavations for waste disposal
? Evidence of periodic and/or current burning of waste, and/or:
? The presence of equipment or personnel on-site.

Hawaii passed a strict new law last year targeting illegal dumpers and illegal dump sites. Act 226 establishes jail terms for illegal operators of open dumps and allows counties to revoke a contractor's license or a waste hauler's PUC license for taking part in the operation of an open dump.



cigarette butts in the gutter are very easily cleaned up, and honestly, the least of our problems.