Sharp Tools: People who need a fucking sense of proportion

September 15, 2009

People who need a fucking sense of proportion

Get real. Ban smoking in outdoor parks in New York City? Oh sure. You've already driven the smokers outdoors from their offices (okay) from restaurants (I guess) and bars (what the living fuck) and now you want to ban them from smoking in parks? Which will open the way for all public spaces in the city, even those maintained by private entities, to mimic the ban?

Fuck. You.

And I'm not even a serious smoker. I smoke cigars or pipes, generally around once every couple of weeks. But I gotta tell you, when I'm smoking that one cigar or pipe, I too want to fucking relax in the outdoors.

Seriously, the people who think this is a good idea need some perspective. Take the following quote, from the New York Times article on the proposed ban:

Adele Jeune, 47, a home health aide from East New York, Brooklyn, does not smoke and had no objection to a ban. “I love clean air,” said Ms. Jeune, who was sitting on a bench in Union Square. “And if I go somewhere like this, I want to smell clean air.”

Let me get this straight. You are sitting in the middle of Union Square in fucking Manhattan (a place with, I might add, current ongoing construction within and around the park) and you're seriously telling me you want to ban smokers because you like smelling 'clean air?'

Jesus H Christopher tapdancing Christ on a popsicle stick, lady, this is New York City. You wouldn't know clean air if it bit you on the ass. Tell you what, if all you people would agree to first go after the fucking incense salescreatures who infest lower Manhattan and love to burn nineteen examples of their wares at a fucking time in some form of suicidal anti-advertising, then you might have some credibility with me.

Posted by jbz at September 15, 2009 1:29 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Chilango: That's because you live in Mexico City, nu? :-) Also: I should point out that most of my snark was because the commenter was in Union Square, which has been ringed by diesel-belching construction equipment and generators (as well as the aforementioned incense sellers and a greenmarket's worth of rotting food) all summer.

nmag: Well, it's my blog, and the category is 'rant', so *my* sense of proportion is entirely optional. Thanks for the driveby comment, though.

Posted by: J.B. Zimmerman at September 16, 2009 12:54 AM

I think the only person here who needs a sense of proportion is you.

Posted by: nmag at September 15, 2009 7:49 PM

I dunno, man. NYC's air seemed pretty clean to me the last coupla times I was there.

(Yes, banning it outright outside is insane.)

Posted by: Chilango at September 15, 2009 9:12 AM