1. I have zero tolerance for people that smoke. (If we banned smoking at bars and restaurants, how hard could it be to ban it at bus stops?)
2. I go to great lengths to avoid sitting by smokers on the bus - that includes taking the 16 when I see them get on the 50, and making sure I am the last one to board the bus as to maximize seating distance, and getting off a stop or two early if it means a little more fresh air.
3. If you are carrying a cigarette that is partially used, you will make the whole bus stink. Contrary to popular belief, you can't snuff out something that was just on fire, and then get into a confined space with 40 people. More reasons why we should ban smoking at the bus stop.
This morning I was caught off guard by an unusually full 50 bus - of course, old Smokey McSmokes decided to sit right next to me. Panic ensued. I fumbled awkwardly with the sliding window that was behind my seat. Fail. I held my breath a couple seconds and then tried again. Big effort this time, flailing around to use both hands. Smokey looked at me awkwardly and I gave him the panicked face. Recognizing me as the crazy person on the bus, he quickly switched seats. Sometimes subtlety is overrated.
Speaking of things that aren't so subtle - cough - the bollards and chain for the intertrack fence finally went up. I can honestly say it's everything I thought it would be - which is to say, I'm still not a fan.
Fences are meant to keep people in or to keep people out, right? This one does neither. Somehow I feel that will be its downfall.
And as long as we're stuck in the middle, er, median, I'd like to point out what happens when you get 800 inches of rain in a month. What used to be a gravel placeholder for our median planting area has become a lush forest of volunteers.
The good news is, something is able to live in the middle of University Avenue. I've never been so happy to see a pile of weeds.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I used to take the 53 from downtown St. Paul, and found that bus stop at 6th and Cedar to be, by far, the smokiest stop on the system. There should be a ranking.
ReplyDeleteSmoking banned at the bus shelters and train stations.. Without a bus shelters they allow to smoking. At the temporary bus stops it's narrow area didn't have a shelter on the "Bus Stop Island" just allowed to smoking. I keep distance from the bus shelters about 5 feet away from the shelter to smoke, same on paratransit buses the door says "No Smoking within 5 feet".
ReplyDeleteI used to smoke for 5 years and tried to be watchful of others and smoke about 10 feet away or something... but now that I quit smoking I notice how awful the smell of smoke is! I hate it when people light up near me walking! or stand to close to me! I think a city wide ban on smoking except in designated spots would be better! sure its your "right" to smoke but just do it away from me in a space I don't have to be near! I am mostly talking about the downtown area but it could be expanded further if needed but smoking is so gross and smelly! Also I would be in favor of the downtown DID people to carry around 5 sticks of deordent and pass them out to the smelly people! I mean at the dollar store they only cost a buck! would sure improve the air downtown too! :)
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