An early result of the new Illinois Smoke-Free Act will be increased City costs to keep sidewalks and streets clear of cigarette butts that are discarded by customers of restaurants and taverns in Woodstock. Many smokers will just toss their butts down on the sidewalk or into the street. This is what Judd Street looks like in front of Liquid Blues.Others may just toss their lighted butts in the City's trash receptacles on the Square. That'll probably drum up some business for Chief Webster and the Woodstock Fire/Rescue folks. Let's hope they can drive up Main Street when the driving lane is narrow due to long trucks parked in the angle parking spaces.
What is the smoker to do with his lighted cigarette before he enters a restaurant or tavern? He has to get rid of it, of course. Some might be lucky enough to find the right place to put it - in a buttcan.
Will the City be painting a 15' radius on the sidewalks at the doors at Liquid Blues? And, if needed, at other establishments that generate the same littering problem?
Should the City quickly address this problem and install buttcans around the Square?
11 comments:
Gus, thanks for addressing this. It's a MORONIC law from a bunch of better-than-thou faux do-gooders that should worry more about their carbon footprints and banning foie gras rather than criminalizing the 80-90% of people that smoke in pubs and taverns (that do not serve food as their main endewavor.)
The city has fairly made it clear they are not going to enforce this (in pubs and taverns) and for ONCE they actually are doing the right thing.....
I'll bet the pictures would have been the same before the ban went into effect.
"Smoke up Johnny!"
hey why dont all us smokers save up the butts and give them to gus as a gift.
Gus-
I'm surprised at your stance on this. You tend to be a libertarian, no? Why all the quashing of smoker's rights here? If all the people (and all of the employees) at the Red Mill Tavern (or any pub/tavern) want to smoke, don;t you find it Nazi-esque that we can tell them all "No!" ???
Think about the future implications here.....
puff, puff, give. puff, puff, give... you're messin' up the rotation!
Interesting comments. I didn't make the law. Littering has been unlawful for a long time, and it is almost never enforced. Should a tavern owner assume reponsibility for sweeping the sidewalk every day at 2:00AM? In some communities businessowners take pride in their businesses and sweep sidewalks and curbing in front of their stores. When I first heard of the law, I wondered why the legislature didn't create an exemption for establishments that wanted a smoking environment.
I was driving to Philpott, Virginia, one day and saw a sign at the city limit of South Boston, Virginia, which read, "If you don't smoke, don't even think about stopping here."
Gus-
We're like-minded about the littering; and glad to hear your reasonable when it comes to Totalitarian and Nazi-esque laws aimed at a specific group of people enjoying a legal substance: a cigarette or cigar, in an establishment that WANTS these customers.
If business owners swept in front of their stores they would probably sweep into the streets anyway. Good non-solution to a non-problem.
gus how bout changing ur blog from woodstockadvocate to "BUTTADVOCATE"
why the hell were you driving to a town named Pillpott where they probably hate you there too. going to critique everything their too? how about complaing about a broken sign on the side of the road? take a hint you fag, your a creepy old man.
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