The Nazi Legacy: Dead Jews and "No Smoking" Signs
Over in LJ Land there's this fun little community by the name of

damnportlanders. It's an awesome comm for the most part, but does have its share of, shall we say, disproportionately passionate folks. Exhibit A:

bennetfox.

Yesterday he posted a rant entitled To the Anti-Smoking Gestapo. From zero to Godwin's in 1.3 seconds? This can only get better.

The crux of his complaint is the smoking ban placed on Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon. Bear in mind that this ordinance went into effect on 1 January 2007, so I'm not sure why his frothing rage had to marinate for 5 months first, but okay.

bennetfox is incensed with this inconvenience to his personal liberties, and lashes out at everyone who supported this ban. All of whom are planet-killing SUV owners who deserve a painful and messy death.

And as I watched this unfold yesterday, I was just going to let it be stupid all on its own. But

bennetfox returned today, enthusiastically pointing the Gestapo to other major cities that they can "ruin" next.

But really it's all okay cuz he's just doing it for the lulz.

Keep Portland Wanky!

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	zaliesiren 2007-05-03 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Does that extend to private property? O_o (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	frequentmouse 2007-05-03 02:14 am UTC (link)
	Ayup. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zinkchan 2007-05-03 02:16 am UTC (link)
	It does?? I suppose I'll have to tell my Dad that. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

frequentmouse
2007-05-03 04:07 am UTC (link)

Unless you're referring to private residences, where you can still smoke unless you've got employees presaent (maids or home health care people). And the 25 foot rule includes doors and ventilators of residences not belonging to the smoker (so you can't smoke in common spaces in condos, for instance).

Private property includes businesses. Public spaces, butstill private property.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	zinkchan 2007-05-03 05:15 am UTC (link)
	Oh, I see. Thanks for clearing that up! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	zaliesiren 2007-05-03 07:04 pm UTC (link)
	Ah, see, I was thinking residences. Public bars and such banning smoking doesn't get me all that riled. Then again, I rarely head out to the bar anyway. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	zaliesiren 2007-05-03 02:18 am UTC (link)
	That might make me get a little wanky, until I realize that enforcing it would be so very difficult as to make it neigh impossible. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	karmakaze 2007-05-03 12:52 pm UTC (link)
	I think it's probably like noise ordinances. If nobody on the block cares that you're having a party, the police won't bother you. Similarly, if nobody cares that you're smoking near their house, it's fine. If your smoke billows in through their living room window and annoys them, then they can call in a complaint. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	zinkchan 2007-05-03 02:15 am UTC (link)
	I don't think it does unless your private property is bordering something like a resturant, bar, school, other public property. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	frequentmouse 2007-05-03 04:09 am UTC (link)
	Those are not "public property"- that would be schools, government offices, and so on. Private property= property in the ownership of private individuals or most kinds of partnerships and corporations. what you want to say, it seems, is private residences, which I clarified above. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	frequentmouse 2007-05-03 04:12 am UTC (link)
	I'm all over the proper definition of "private property" on this issue because good old Frankie From Lacey (Frankie's Sports Bar, which is actually over the line in Olympia by a half block) has been fighting the smoking ban in his bar on the basis that nobody has a right to tell him how to run his private business on his privately owned property. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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