Friday, May 27, 2011

Outdoor Smoking Ban Comes into Effect in New York But Smokers Remain Defiant

MAIL ONLINE: Tourists in New York might find that the air is that little bit fresher on their next visit to Central Park after a ban on outdoor smoking came into effect on Monday.

Smokers can no longer legally light up in the city's public parks, beaches and promenades. Pedestrian plazas are also no smoking zones, including the ones in Times Square and Herald Square.

But many smokers said they would flout the ban, despite the threat of a $50 fine.

People will be fined for lighting up in any New York parks - except the Roberto Clemente, Riverbank, Gantry Plaza, Empire-Fulton Ferry, East River, Bayswater Point, Clay Pit Ponds State Parks.

But some smokers on the streets of New York said it was worth risking the $50 penalty. Continue reading and comment » | Paul Bentley | Friday, May 27, 2011

My comment:

America is no longer 'The Land of the Free.' Wherever you go in the US today, there are restrictions. The US used to be a wonderful, fun country to go to. That's all changed now. Political correctness has taken over. Alas, this side of the Atlantic, we copy every ridiculous idea Americans come up with. We have no backbone to do our own thing, in our own way. To show a little tolerance is always a good thing. I am not a smoker. I am an ex-smoker. But when I gave up smoking a couple of years ago, I vowed that I would never allow myself to become a whinger. Bloomberg used to be a chain-smoker. But when he gave up, he became just that: a whinger!, He expected the rest of the world to give up because he did. Surely, if someone wants to enjoy a smoke, let that person do so. To worry about second-hand smoke in New York is about as sensible as worrying about snow on a skiing holiday in the Alps. In the Alps, you find snow; in a city like NY, you find pollution. – © Mark

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