Santa Monica - Non-smoking paradise (Glendale, Nice: 2013, apartment complex, rental)

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by Another Lost Angel

You can't smoke in most restaurants in many states and many hotels have no smoking rooms (and there are more of them than smoking rooms).

You don't need a car to live, just like you don't need cigarettes to live. There are negative impacts to your health (and the environment) from the emissions of vehicles. Just because they serve a purpose doesn't mean the harmful affects from their emissions.

If you're going to talk about how your lungs can't handle cigarette smoke, then smog is on that list, too, and it's probably a bigger concern to your health than cigarette smoke in passing.

I don't have a car so I don't have to deal with smog emissions from any vehicles that I personally own. As much as I do not like the smell of car exhaust (and actively try to avoid it when possible), it doesn't create the symptoms within me that cigarette smoke does. For me and millions of others, it isn't the same.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by californio sur

Glad to hear that you are reasonable but apartment buildings or houses close to each other allow tobacco smoke to drift into other people's living quarters. In the long run it is better for people to stop smoking and some companies pay their employees to take anti-smoking workshops or warn them to stop or lose their job. Same can be applied to marijuana except those who need medicinal weed. But the smog analogy is something you brought up. California leads the country in green technology and the expectation that battery\ solar powered vehicles be the standard in the future yet certain companies are trying to slow California down in implementing these necessary measures to clean the air. The way a state legislates is a reflection on the values of its citizenry. Wyoming and Texas are deep Red states that allow polluters free-reign in spite of the overall negative health consequences to its residents. To me, that's inexcusable and selfish. But smokers like states like Texas or Wyoming because they can smoke and pollute the air wherever they want.

I live within an apartment complex and knew as soon as my prior neighbor moved in that he was a smoker as I could smell it within MY bathroom. This is the space that I pay rent for but apparently he has the rights to smoke and I just had to suffer the consequences. As much as he was a nice guy otherwise, I was so happy when he moved and my current neighbors are non-smokers. My allergies have improved much since he left.

[Chatteress]

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.

And you should care about the rights of other people, unless you don't care about your own. That's the thing about "freedom."

ETA: Also, cigarette smoke and cigar smoke are much different. Cigar smoke gives me a headache, too.

Your freedom ends where my nose begin! What about MY freedom to not be forced to breathe in YOUR nasty cigarette smoke? Or does freedom only exist for smokers?

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Keep dreaming. Just try to keep me from smoking a cigar inside my single family detached home with the windows closed. I dare you.

That is the worst of the worse: cigars [they should be the first to be banned though most people don't inhale cigar smoke, right?]. But everyone farts, right? Hardly any difference and just as offensive except farts don't kill others so cigars are even worse.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by californio sur

Hardly any difference and just as offensive except farts don't kill others so cigars are even worse.

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

Anyway, you and your banning what doesn't agree with you. Did you miss the part about inside my house with the windows shut, Mr. Ban-It-If-I-Don't-Like-It?

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

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

Anyway, you and your banning what doesn't agree with you. Did you miss the part about inside my house with the windows shut, Mr. Ban-It-If-I-Don't-Like-It?

I'll give you a rain check on the farts!

[Another Lost Angel]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

Your freedom ends where my nose begin! What about MY freedom to not be forced to breathe in YOUR nasty cigarette smoke? Or does freedom only exist for smokers?

You can remove yourself from the area and stop hanging around smokers. Voila, problem solved. There are apartment complexes out there that don't allow smoking, maybe you should look for one of them and live there, then you won't have to worry about a neighbor who smokes. And nowhere did I say that freedom only exists for smokers.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by Another Lost Angel

You can remove yourself from the area and stop hanging around smokers. Voila, problem solved. There are apartment complexes out there that don't allow smoking, maybe you should look for one of them and live there, then you won't have to worry about a neighbor who smokes. And nowhere did I say that freedom only exists for smokers.

And where are these non-smoking apartment complexes located? As I use public transit to get around, I'm not that flexible about where I can live. Also, I do my best to avoid smokers but it's not easy when they light up next to you at the bus bench. It would be nice if they would at least move away from me or ask me if I minded but no, they just light up without any regards to someone else's allergies. I've had it with inconsiderate smokers which is why I am so for these anti-smoking measures. Maybe if more smokers could be considerate, I might have a different view.

[majoun]

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.

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".

And you should care about the rights of other people, unless you don't care about your own. That's the thing about "freedom."

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.

[Another Lost Angel]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

And where are these non-smoking apartment complexes located? As I use public transit to get around, I'm not that flexible about where I can live. Also, I do my best to avoid smokers but it's not easy when they light up next to you at the bus bench. It would be nice if they would at least move away from me or ask me if I minded but no, they just light up without any regards to someone else's allergies. I've had it with inconsiderate smokers which is why I am so for these anti-smoking measures. Maybe if more smokers could be considerate, I might have a different view.

Those smokers are jerks. Inconsiderate people come in all different forms, though, and not all of them are smokers. I do smoke (but I am trying to quit), and I try to be considerate of other people. I try to smoke in designated areas only and if I can't, I separate myself from groups of people or ask if anyone would mind. Or just wait until I get to my car or when I get home (where I sit far away from the house so as not to bother any of my roommates). I also don't throw the butts on the ground and leave them there or ash out the window (I also despise that).

I'm not too big on the "smoker's rights" biz, but I do think people should have the right to do what they want in their home, unless they live in an apartment complex that restricts it (because then they would have the choice to not live there/move). I'm perfectly fine with not being able to smoke inside most restaurants and bars (there are still some bars that have designated indoor smoking areas), it's nice to have a drink and not have my eyes watering because of all the smoke in the room (unless the places is really well ventilated, which I noticed the few places that do allow it are).

Not all smokers are like that and there are people out there that smoke and you wouldn't even know they did. It's unfortunate, but there are very inconsiderate (or at the least unintentionally thoughtless) smokers out there and they seem to overshadow the smokers who do try to take other people into consideration. But maybe the considerate smokers go unnoticed because you don't realise they're smokers because they restrict where they smoke, you know?

As for smoke-free apartments, I don't know. I only heard about them from other people, but they never mentioned where they were, just that they existed. It came up in a conversation similar to this one. I never bothered to look for an apartment complex that restricted smoking (even when I didn't smoke - I haven't been smoking for long). And I really, really wish LA had a better public transportation system so that people could get around efficiently without having to have a car. That is the one thing I do miss about Chicago - the great public transportation (and Illinois loved raiding your bank account when it came to registration and Chicago itself would raid you on parking).

Gah, sorry for the long reply.