Santa Monica - Non-smoking paradise (mall, park, dogs)

[Another Lost Angel]

Originally Posted by majoun

Exactly.

I read that there were two members of the Santa Monica city council who voted against the outdoor smoking ban - interestingly enough, its only gay member (still on the council) and its only Green member (no longer on the council, don't think any non-Dems hold any office in SM currently). The Green councilman cited concerns about the potential for the outdoor smoking ban to be abused against nonwhites and the poor of all races. Although in considering this issue further it really does seem to be more about fines as a new source of revenue than racial/ethnic issues. The first law of politics is to "follow the money".

There are all sorts of odors that personally bother me. I don't think that said odors should be criminalized. Although I don't smoke tobacco (and rarely smoke anything else) I don't want to interfere if someone else chooses to smoke it. Whether I find it tasteful or distasteful should not be a matter of law.

My dad and friends who are back in the Chicagoland area were telling me about how the city got those red light cameras and that people were getting tickets in the mail for legal right hand turns. People got fed up, stopped making turns on red lights, which backed traffic up, and most people refused to pay the fine because it couldn't even be fought in court. They also privatized their parking meters, which was also a huge disaster, as the company that bought them weren't emptying them or servicing them in any way and the meters would stop working. People would park there anyway, get a ticket, and then they also started to refuse to pay those.

Also, I agree with you completely. I think there are some smokers that could be more considerate of other people, but not all smokers are inconsiderate of others, either.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by Another Lost Angel

It wouldn't be LAPD responding to the call, it would be Santa Monica Police Department. And you're right - it would be a huge waste of resources. There are so many bigger problems in this state than smoking.

Originally Posted by majoun

Exactly.

SMPD has an entire department to deal with this type of thing - called the community resources team, or something along those lines. They handle small tenant v. tenant issues, etc. They would likely be the ones to enforce this. You will not see patrol officers taken out of service to write citations for smoking.

Typically, these smaller laws are dealt with because someone calls a non-emergency number, and gets in touch with someone in the community resources department. This is not an immediate enforcement type of situation - where someone calls and an officer is dispatched immediately.

With that being said, if people are dumb enough to call 911 (and thus take up dispatcher time) ... well, then you're right.

[Another Lost Angel]

Originally Posted by 1200RT

SMPD has an entire department to deal with this type of thing - called the community resources team, or something along those lines. They handle small tenant v. tenant issues, etc. They would likely be the ones to enforce this. You will not see patrol officers taken out of service to write citations for smoking.

Typically, these smaller laws are dealt with because someone calls a non-emergency number, and gets in touch with someone in the community resources department. This is not an immediate enforcement type of situation - where someone calls and an officer is dispatched immediately.

With that being said, if people are dumb enough to call 911 (and thus take up dispatcher time) ... well, then you're right.

People have called 911 to get help finding a husband (this is true, a woman in the Midwest - Ohio, I think - did this), you would be surprised at the things people will call 911 over because they don't know there is a non-emergency number.

But that's good information to know.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

I can smell cigar smoke from a mile away, and it gives me a terrible headache. With that in mind, yes, I support banning smoking outside. I don't much care about smokers' rights. As other people have pointed out, there are many other states that allow smoking anywhere.

One of these days, that rogue dictator from North Korea, who could be a smoker, might decide to have a little fun, shoot off some nuclear missles like firecrackers, and which state on the Pacific will get hit first?

Then? If cigar smoke from a mile away gives you terrible headaches, how will you endure the smell of burning flesh, hair; burning buildings and cars?

Wouldn't you know with the tick-tick-tick of the clock of the end of the world, we're looking at leaves, not trees, let alone the forest.

Rather than over-focus on smokers, how about inspecting the gas lines around L.A.? Take a break, look at some trees, for a change, not the leaves?

I've got some hefty bets on it: when Smoking becomes popular again, it will start in CA, the land of the trendies, the massochists. No that's not a misspelling. Massochist: those that subscribe to the thinking of the masses.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by tijlover

One of these days, that rogue dictator from North Korea, who could be a smoker, might decide to have a little fun, shoot off some nuclear missles like firecrackers, and which state on the Pacific will get hit first?

Then? If cigar smoke from a mile away gives you terrible headaches, how will you endure the smell of burning flesh, hair; burning buildings and cars?

Wouldn't you know with the tick-tick-tick of the clock of the end of the world, we're looking at leaves, not trees, let alone the forest.

Rather than over-focus on smokers, how about inspecting the gas lines around L.A.? Take a break, look at some trees, for a change, not the leaves?

I've got some hefty bets on it: when Smoking becomes popular again, it will start in CA, the land of the trendies, the massochists. No that's not a misspelling. Massochist: those that subscribe to the thinking of the masses.

Are you for real? You certainly do not know California!

[purple73]

So I have just moved to Glendale and was never aware of the "breath of fresh air" ordinance until yesterday. We are in an apartment that didn't make it clear that there was a smoking ordinance when we moved in. It's really annoying to me that when we moved in. I was however informed that we may smoke in our apartment, but if we do we could be looking at a minimum of a $700 clean up fee when we move out. If any of that would've been explained to us, we never would've moved in.

-CELL PHONE LAWS IN CALIFORNIA-

NOW one more thing for all of you non-smokers out there that are all "pro smoking ban", that feel we smokers should move somewhere else because we are polluting your lungs.............question for you.........DO YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE??? I imagine you do........question #2 DO YOU TEXT OR TALK ON YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING???..........I imagine you do. Isn't there some sort of ban against talking on cell phones or texting while you are driving, but yet you all continue to do it. You too are putting other peoples lives in jeopardy. How long does it take for a person to die from second hand smoke? All it takes is one second of some dumbass texting or talking on a cell phone to kill someone because they aren't paying attention to the road. You all are putting my family in far more danger then me having an occassional cigarette out in public. People really need to be very careful when being so critical of others and make sure everything in your house is straight before you start making such brutal statements about others.



The new Wireless Communications Device Law (effective January 1, 2009) makes it an infraction to write, send, or read text-based communication on an electronic wireless communications device, such as a cell phone, while driving a motor vehicle.
Two additional laws dealing with the use of wireless telephones while driving went into effect July 1, 2008. The first law prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle, (California Vehicle Code [VC] §23123). Motorists 18 and over may use a “hands-free device. The second law effective July 1, 2008, prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23124).
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions concerning these laws.

Q: When did the wireless communications device (no texting) law take effect?
A: The law took effect January 1, 2009.

Q: When did the handheld wireless telephone laws take effect?
A: The laws took effect July 1, 2008.

Q: What is the difference between these laws?
A: The first law prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle, (California Vehicle Code [VC] §23123). Motorists 18 and over may use a “hands-free device.” The second law prohibits all drivers from texting while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23123.5). The third law prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23124).

[Michael J. McFadden]

Purple wrote, "We are in an apartment that didn't make it clear that there was a smoking ordinance when we moved in. It's really annoying to me that when we moved in. I was however informed that we may smoke in our apartment, but if we do we could be looking at a minimum of a $700 clean up fee when we move out. If any of that would've been explained to us, we never would've moved in."

Sorry Purple, that's become pretty much the standard sort of treatment that's being handed out to smokers nowadays. It's abusive discimination but the landlords/hotels etc figure most people won't fight the fees so it's free money for them. If more people fought it on reasonable grounds (I.E. don't expect to win if you've been puffing down 20 cheap stogies a day for five years in the place.) the legal costs might mount up enough that they'd stop, but meanwhile they just take the money and run.

[purple73]

Holy crap, I just read the first paragraph of what I wrote, don't I sound intelligent!!! WOW! So I'v done some research on this wonderful ordinance and our apartment complex is not in compliance with the city either. NICE!! Got to love it when people try to pick and choose what they want to enforce something.


Glendale's Fresh Air Commitment- Ordinance Information

Rental Disclosure
Before signing a lease, landlords MUST disclose to the prospective tenant whether:

• Smoking is permitted in the unit for rent; and whether the unit was designated as a smoking or non-smoking unit for the tenant last residing in it.

A landlord MUST provide the prospective tenant with the following:

• A floor plan that shows the position of smoking units and non-smoking units, relative to one another, in the complex; and
• The location of all common areas of multi-unit rental housing where smoking is prohibited; and
• The location of any smoking permitted area.

A landlord MUST post a diagram disclosing of location of smoking units and areas

[pjg66]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Try mine on for size. You'll be singing a different tune, assuming you can breathe.

Hilarious! Funniest response I've read on any forum in a long time.

It's nice to know there are still people out there with a sense of humor.

[WakeUpPeopleNow]

Tobacco products should be illegal......period. The whores who run the tobacco companies count on the ignorance of people who don't know the dangers of tobacco smoke. They doctor the cigarettes with over 200 different chemicals, additives and preservatives to make them waaaaay more addictive than they already are with their 2 key ingredients........tar and nicotine. That's why those whores had to pay out millions if not billions in law suits in the past decade or so. It's a shame that the US government condones cancer in its people's bodies..........no doubt due to the fact that the cancer (tobacco) companies pay them off to allow the production/sale of its deadly products. Every state governor should ban smoking in all apartment/condo/townhouse complexes due to the fact that second hand smoke is deadly as well. Even France has banned smoking in all public businesses like California/New Jersey/Florida etc etc. Wake up...............the tobacco companies are laughing at your slow descent into a miserable/horrible Death! And for lining their pockets with gold as you willingly destroy your body and those of other innocent people as well.