The recently enacted Indianapolis smoking ordinance is causing some concern for the Indianapolis Metro Police. Apparently our brilliant council representatives didn't consider all the unintended consequences. There are grumblings in the bar districts, Broad Ripple and Downtown, that all the people leaving the bar to smoke their cancer sticks are clogging the sidewalks and standing in roadways making them impassible. So now anyone who is trying to walk down a sidewalk or drive their car with the windows down, and doesn't want to go into a smoke filled bar, must pass through a smoke filled crowd on a public right of way; and that's even if they can get through the mass of people. Way to go Council! The governments great concern for our health and safety has put our health and safety at risk....that's seems to be about par for course. Smokers may be shortening their life by several years, but a speeding truck smashing a clueless smoker standing in the street shortens their life much quicker. Thanks to our Council, IMPD and every other citizen must now deal with large groups of people standing around and blocking the sidewalks, intersections and streets smoking; but it's all for our health benefit, and it looks so appealing.I wonder how long before our Council passes another law restricting citizens from smoking their LEGAL cancer stick on a public thoroughfare? Government at it's best; solve a perceived problem by creating a real problem.
You truly don't expect them to understand because they are THAT out of touch, even at the local level.
ReplyDeleteA great point, though, a PUBLIC smoking ban would have made more sense than banning it in private businesses. Now I don't have to go inside and be subjected to the smoke, I just have to walk by. One would have to assume a public ban would have been easier to push through.
When I was in college they passed a smoking ban affecting the inside of every building on campus. The next year they had to pass a ban on smoking within 50 feet of every building. I wonder if that's next?
Based on the way our government functions, especially in the last 60 years, I can all but guarantee they will pass another ordinance restricting smoking in a public space. The fundamental problem is that our government is involved in too much of our business and therefore they constantly have to correct more serious problems they created when they were trying to help. Wasn't it Ronald Reagan that said the most frightening words anyone could ever here are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
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