Two surprises (Baton Rouge: home, taxes, restaurants)

[BR_Bound]

I have to vent but I'll be quick about it.

I moved to BR earlier this year. Two of the biggest surprises I've had are:

(1) so many people in BR smoke and
(2) so many people throw trash out their car windows.

Both of these things are just unexpected and unhappy surprises. Is it a lack of respect for self and others?

[MetroBTR]

Well I don't thow trash out my car window, so I can't speak for everyone else.

[fbbertusa]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

I have to vent but I'll be quick about it.

I moved to BR earlier this year. Two of the biggest surprises I've had are:

(1) so many people in BR smoke and
(2) so many people throw trash out their car windows.

Both of these things are just unexpected and unhappy surprises. Is it a lack of respect for self and others?

As a re-formed smoker with emphysema I find the issue to be one of Addiction and a serious Health risk to or people and our country.Most of the people I know that smoke think it is so nasty they won't smoke in there home but will smoke in a closed up car and will throw there Butts out on the street rather than put them into the ash trey (to nasty).Which brings us to Your second point littering,IMO that is a sign of Lack of Self respect and a sign of disrespect to all.

[Caa]

Funny you said about litter here. I noticed the same thing and it is not only out the windows, it is in parking lots where they leave trash all over the buggys and around the lot itself. I think it is lack of respect for everything, including themsleves. A friend of mine actually heard a mom, when the child asked her what to do with his candy wrAPPER, say "just toss it out the window". This was in a wal mart parking lot and guess what type of person said this? Not a mom with a Lexus I can tell you that. Now, do not get me wrong, I have seen both lower class types and upper class types throw trash out the window, but I think certain people just do it more than others. I have never thrown trash out or around a parking lot or anywhere else. I def. agree with you on this. I also got in touch with Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful and told them about the parking lot trash and the trash all around our town. They have a clean up the city type thing, but I think it is just that people don't care like years ago. Kids throw trash out all the time from their cars. It really is sad...I came from south Florida and even though I did not like it down there, at least the city was not as litter filled as here.

[fbbertusa]

Clean cities draw more tourist,if B.R. wants to be a big city it will need to clean up it's action against the litter problem.I think our Mayor is trying to clean up things.

[Rosinante]

Baton Rouge will never be a tourist city — whether or not they get the litter problem under control. Kip Holden isn't a big city mayor either, no matter how hard he tries.

I'm not a smoker, but you need to remember that both Federal and state governments make lots of money from the taxes on tobacco. We should encourage people to smoke so that the governments refrain from raising other taxes to support entitlement programs. Also keep in mind that the more people that smoke, the fewer there will be around to collect medicare when they get older.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

I have to vent but I'll be quick about it.

I moved to BR earlier this year. Two of the biggest surprises I've had are:

(1) so many people in BR smoke and
(2) so many people throw trash out their car windows.

Both of these things are just unexpected and unhappy surprises. Is it a lack of respect for self and others?

Couple of comments:

(1) Smoking - it isn't just a Baton Rouge thing - what is your basis of comparison ? FWIW, Louisiana DID pass an anti smoking law for restaurants, and more and more local businesses are forbidding smoking on the premises

(2) Litter - it's an undesirable side effect of the laid back attitudes people have about things in this state.

[BR_Bound]

BRMan -

I'm comparing my experiences here with time spent in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, OKC and Boulder.

It's only one woman's observation.

I've never smoked and I've never thrown trash anywhere but into a trash can.

And, thanks, BRMan, for not turning this into a racial, economic, class or political issue. Funny thing with posts on this board -- they blow up very very quickly. Once I was asking about the single scene and it turned into a big deal about alcoholism, DWI and skanky bars. Go figure.

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

BRMan -

I'm comparing my experiences here with time spent in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, OKC and Boulder.

It's only one woman's observation.

I've never smoked and I've never thrown trash anywhere but into a trash can.

And, thanks, BRMan, for not turning this into a racial, economic, class or political issue. Funny thing with posts on this board -- they blow up very very quickly. Once I was asking about the single scene and it turned into a big deal about alcoholism, DWI and skanky bars. Go figure.

Some of us do have broader horizons than Baton Rouge. We have been around. From what I have seen elsewhere, it is my opinion that people come here expecting to dislike it (Louisiana=crime, hurricanes, racists, and corrupt politicians, etc.) and anything negative they see/hear is automatically augmented to something larger and more outrageous than it actually is. Their way of justifying their original apprehension.

Just my thoughts.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

BRMan -

I'm comparing my experiences here with time spent in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, OKC and Boulder.

It's only one woman's observation.

I've never smoked and I've never thrown trash anywhere but into a trash can.

And, thanks, BRMan, for not turning this into a racial, economic, class or political issue. Funny thing with posts on this board -- they blow up very very quickly. Once I was asking about the single scene and it turned into a big deal about alcoholism, DWI and skanky bars. Go figure.

Observations are good, and I thank you for the perspective - the littering is shameful and disgusting.