Who's In Charge of Pinellas County Beaches? (Miami, Tampa: live in, restaurant)

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

You put more crap into the air on your drive to the beach than a smoker ads to the atmosphere in a year.

Pinellas County is responsible for 3 beaches. Fort DeSoto, Howard Park and Sand Key Park.

You may want to try the FL Dept of Environmental Protection for some of the others.

It's not about "putting more crap into the air from ur car than a cigarette"...
It's about having to smell someone's crap tobacco products as you're trying to lay out and enjoy the sun and sand. It's about ur sense of smell being assaulted all day long with tobacco smoke...

I sat on a beach recently about 50 yards away from 2 old men smoking cigars and that's all I could smell the entire time I was on the beach... was there cigars. It was annoying, it smelled, it went on for hours. And again, I was at least 50 yards away from them so by no means all that close, it just so happened that their cigar smoke was wafting in my direction the entire time they sat on the beach.

I agree with the OP that smoking should be banned on beaches.
If u wanna smoke, go smoke in ur car and at home... go smoke in a gutter off the freeway for all I care, but not on the beach, or in a park.... or anywhere where the general public would have to "tolerate" ur bad habit. .

[mia12]

Originally Posted by ChuteTheMall

I hate seeing butts and matches and empty packs as litter on the beach.

They don't carry ashtrays with them, they flick ashes onto the sand.

I hate watching seagulls fooled into fighting over cigarette butts.

I hate witnessing the bad example for children.

I go to the beach to enjoy fresh air, not tobacco smoke.

^^^^^ This!

[GulfCoastGuy]

I'd be happy if they put up small "changing rooms" next to but "not inside" the very few public bathrooms.
There is really no where to change out of a wet bathing suit from swimming into shorts and t-shirt for the ride home.
Unless someone knows about something I haven't seen.

[PhotoProIP]

Originally Posted by dothetwist

It's the stink of cigarette smoke that I resent when trying to enjoy a nice meal on a restaurant patio or deck. I smoked for 15+ years but I never smoked while eating.

To add insult to injury, in many eateries, the smokers get the best outdoor seating and views, while non-smokers are sent indoors.

I'm not asking anyone to quit smoking, but jeeze, can you go an hour without them, during your meal around others???

You'd think. I think some just do it to pi$$ of others.

[PhotoProIP]

Originally Posted by GulfCoastGuy

I'd be happy if they put up small "changing rooms" next to but "not inside" the very few public bathrooms.
There is really no where to change out of a wet bathing suit from swimming into shorts and t-shirt for the ride home.
Unless someone knows about something I haven't seen.

It's ok, we're not THAT civilized. We're supposed to get in our cars wearing wet clothing items didn't you know?


I agree...I wonder where the tax dollars that they charge now for these beaches go to...
In this country it is ok to spend 6 figures paying a person to do nothing(politicians), than actually DO something for your citizens.

Guess what, this Pinellas county gov needs to be dissolved, at Lake Park ever since the day they started charging admission half the park is flooded! It's been YEARS now and those morons haven't found a plumber to fix it. AND that heavily flooded area is right next to the playground too! It killed all the trails which we used to enjoy very much and nobody is even trying to fix it. So, they're ripping us off money for nothing.

Smokers are just rude and inconsiderate. That is what this boils down to.

[BucFan]

the day they start removing butts from the beach is the last day I visit the beach.....

https://youtu.be/_XUmJ0Jm2fI

[GulfCoastGuy]

Originally Posted by BucFan

the day they start removing butts from the beach is the last day I visit the beach.....

https://youtu.be/_XUmJ0Jm2fI

I have yet to see this kind of real estate on the beach. One could always hope..

[SeaSpur]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

It's not about "putting more crap into the air from ur car than a cigarette"...
It's about having to smell someone's crap tobacco products as you're trying to lay out and enjoy the sun and sand. It's about ur sense of smell being assaulted all day long with tobacco smoke...

I sat on a beach recently about 50 yards away from 2 old men smoking cigars and that's all I could smell the entire time I was on the beach... was there cigars. It was annoying, it smelled, it went on for hours. And again, I was at least 50 yards away from them so by no means all that close, it just so happened that their cigar smoke was wafting in my direction the entire time they sat on the beach.

I agree with the OP that smoking should be banned on beaches.
If u wanna smoke, go smoke in ur car and at home... go smoke in a gutter off the freeway for all I care, but not on the beach, or in a park.... or anywhere where the general public would have to "tolerate" ur bad habit. .

You live in the cigar capital of the US...ya know, "Cigar City".

I can understand you and others seeing cigarette smoking as a bad habit with smokers even agreeing with you...but you're not going to find that same sentiment among the cigar smoking community. It's looked at as more of an enjoyable experience rather than burning down a cigarette.

If they have to constantly worry about their surroundings when they decide to smoke a cigar...whose rights are actually being violated here? Every public building in America has nearly outlawed cigarette and cigar smoking (with good reason)...where does it end?

I don't smoke either but damn, I have bigger battles to choose than to constantly question the freedom of others and whether mine are more important than anothers.

[SeaSpur]

Originally Posted by GulfCoastGuy

I'd be happy if they put up small "changing rooms" next to but "not inside" the very few public bathrooms.
There is really no where to change out of a wet bathing suit from swimming into shorts and t-shirt for the ride home.
Unless someone knows about something I haven't seen.

We've always just dried off in the sun while on the beach after some swimming. We don't really run from the ocean to our vehicles. Never have an issue with being wet in the vehicle.

[PhotoProIP]

Originally Posted by SeaSpur

You live in the cigar capital of the US...ya know, "Cigar City".

I can understand you and others seeing cigarette smoking as a bad habit with smokers even agreeing with you...but you're not going to find that same sentiment among the cigar smoking community. It's looked at as more of an enjoyable experience rather than burning down a cigarette.

If they have to constantly worry about their surroundings when they decide to smoke a cigar...whose rights are actually being violated here? Every public building in America has nearly outlawed cigarette and cigar smoking (with good reason)...where does it end?

I don't smoke either but damn, I have bigger battles to choose than to constantly question the freedom of others and whether mine are more important than anothers.

I could care less if all we did here was produce tobacco...the beach is NOT owned by tobacco companies, so guess what they need to keep that disgusting smell off the beach. Cigars smell ten times worst than regular cigarettes too....

I noticed more cigar smokers at Howard Park because of that Greek community and it is just rude and inconsiderate towards the rest of the people, mostly parents with kids.