General Irritants in the Air 2

May 6, 2009 by admncc

Welcome to The Constant Complainer.  Let’s just say that it’s been a long week and it’s only Wednesday.  LOL.  Anyway, along those lines, rather than a longer post about one topic today, I have two shorter topics that will hopefully interest you.

Inappropriate Dress…  Have you ever said to yourself, “Do you see what that kid is wearing?  I will never let my kid leave the house wearing that.”  I used to say that before I had kids and I say it even more now that I’m a parent.  Last night we saw a group of high school girls at the mall and my wife and I were truly disgusted by their inappropriate attire.  As they walked by other shoppers, you could see the same awkward look on most of the adults’ faces.  I see this more and more when I’m out these days.  It’s not that I’m old or out of touch with fashion.  It’s that, in good conscience, I wouldn’t let my daughter leave the house in a piece of clothing that is way too short or one that she’s falling out of.  Funny enough, one question I always ask myself is if there is any correlation between the inappropriately dressed kids out there and all of these young parents I see.  Wait, let’s not go there yet.  Maybe we should save the “Kids Having Kids” discussion for a different day.

Smoking in Public…  At lunch yesterday, I overheard several restaurant patrons complaining about the “no smoking” rule.  You see; I live in Ohio and back in November of 2007, a statewide law was passed which banned smoking in public places and restaurants.  That was fine with me, because I don’t smoke.  And although I could care less if you do smoke, since becoming a parent, I’ve been known to fly off the handle once in a while in regards to tobacco.  Usually it is when I see a parent smoking in a vehicle while their child is also in there.  For example, about a year ago, I blew a gasket when I saw two old women smoking in a car (with all the windows closed) and an infant was in the back seat coughing violently.  It wasn’t pretty and then I wrote “Smoke Smoke Everywhere.”  Unfortunately, other similar outbursts have followed.  Hehe…

When comparing the inappropriate dress and smoking issues, I think in both cases, it is fair to say that I worried less about them before I was a parent.  But, hey, whether you’re a parent or not, I’d love to hear what you think.  Maybe I’m off my rocker, but I doubt it…

All Posts / Business / Family/Lifestyle / General Moaning / Parenting Children / Inappropriate Attire / Kids / Kids Being a Product of Their Environment / Smoke / Smoking / Tobacco /

Comments

  1. 1. i’m always saying that when i see these slutty freakin kids. i mean, what in the world? but you know half of them hid their mini skirts inside their purses and changed into it at the mall. always keep that in mind.

    2. illinois passed that law too. thank God, now i can actually go places. it never failed every time i went to a restaurant i got sat next to a 85 yr old chimney.

  2. NeoConDon says:

    I hate when the girls have words on their butts…It’s human nature to read them, and then I start to think I’m staring at a 16 year old’s butt…

    I have been a non-smoker for over a year, and I still believe that the decision to allow or not allow smoking should be up to the business owner. The Ohio anti-smoking law is a bad law. But, it was voted on by the people…not much anyone can really do about it. It is certainly hurting the business of the family owned corner bar.

  3. Kim says:

    I hear you on the dress….there is one student I teach who is….uh….fairly well endowed. She comes to school every day in these low-cut shirts, short skirts (did I mention she’s well endowed on the top AND the bottom?!?)….A few of my co-workers and I are ready to nominate her to “What Not to Wear”.

    Oh, and for a future article, can we PLEASE discuss the totally inappropriate way teenagers behave in public?!? I’m ready to start wheeling myself around in a giant hamster ball because the way they are constantly groping,etc. in public is embarrassing and disgusting! We didn’t act like that—-did we?

  4. Terri says:

    I don’t normally notice kids wearing inappropriate garb. What I always come across is the Big Fat.. no, scratch that. Let’s be politically correct and say WELL ENDOWED women with their short skirts and low-cut tops. It’s both disturbing and distracting. Just yesterday, I took my kid to her first tball practice and one of the coaches had a skirt on that was shorter than a pair of short shorts! she kept bending over. I was waiting to see her large derriere. It was a kids tball practice for god’s sake! Get some morals or a clue, please.
    I completely agree with you on the smoking thing. I’m not a smoker and I don’t like for others to blow their smoke in my face. I’m glad they passed the ban. Perhaps they should think about banning short skirts on women over 400 pounds!
    Now, women over 400 pounds who smoke?? I just might blow a gasket!

  5. I think it’s sad that young women think they have to dress that way for some reason.

    As for the non-smoking laws, I’m all for it. It’s nearly impossible to have smoking areas inside restaurants.

  6. Gina says:

    1) Where do kids get the idea? MTV, reality TV, tabloids, “role models” like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. If we allow TV to tell our kids how to dress, think and act, we’re all in trouble.

    2) As someone with severe asthma which is triggered by cigarette smoke, I believe I have just as much a right to dine as a smoker. The difference is, they can wait until finishing to smoke. Sadly, I still can’t stop breathing for an hour.

  7. Chris says:

    I hate parent-smokers … especially when kids are around. I call them pokers … I wanted to say ‘idiots’ but it didn’t work really. If people want to ruin their own lungs, fine, but at least give the kid a chance to make us his/her own mind.

  8. Tristan says:

    1. If parents would turn off the TV and spend some time with their kids this might not be so much of an issue. Distaste is certainly portrayed as the norm by Hollywood but it isn’t as widespread as it seems.

    I don’t think the age of parents (i.e. “kids having kids”) is the issue at all. Some parents grow up fast and some parents never do. I know responsible former-teen parents and completely-irresponsible parents in their 50s.

    Very rarely is a bad apple not the result of a bad apple tree…

    2. It would be fine with me if the Cleveland Indians moved to New Mexico. I hate professional baseball.

    Don, I’m surprised you’re so unconcerned…not like you. This law does absolutely nothing but eliminate individual freedom. You know, if we banned alcohol there would be no more drunk driving! It’s for our own good! We’d all have better livers, too, and our children would never have to worry about alcoholism. Or did we try that already…I don’t know, it was too long ago, I don’t even know what I did last week! I’m too young and idealistic to be concerned with history.

    A quote to sum this up too: He who fails to learn from history is doomed to repeat it.

  9. Middle school teachers have it rough, because so many students wear inappropriate dress and are tolerated by the administration. You’re right, the parents should be more disciplined, but many of them are wearing the exact same thing.

  10. NeoConDon says:

    I’m not unconcerned. I have been very vocal on the issues and against the anti-smoking Zealots. This small battle for liberty has been lost, but the war can still be won. The slippery slope into socialism is speeding up, and it will hit its climax in 2010 and 2012. If it is not won at the ballot box, it will be fought in the schools. Our liberal system of education is so cruel that we are turning out mind numbed robots that don’t understand history, science, and right from wrong. There will be a very large contingecy of “John Galts” that will take back control.

  11. Sugar says:

    1. One word: Prostitots

    2. I sometimes smoke when I drink and I don’t mind going outside. I am glad that there is a smoking ban. It’s nice to be able to go into places and not come out smelling like stale cigarettes.

  12. c.princess says:

    I don’t understand why society gets so bent out of shape or why some of their minds go directly to the gutter when they see a girl in a short skirt. If her parents don’t have a problem why should others? Who is to say what is appropriate and what isn’t. I am the last person to pass judgement on anyone especially when it comes to fashion and I probably am in the minority here but I don’t find anything wrong with the way they dress.

  13. NeoConDon says:

    Princess is saying the exact same things that they said about the hippies, now called the baby boomers. Look what the boomers have done.

    1. Their parents fought and died to end European Socailsim and Communism, now the Boomers embrace socialism and communism.

    2. Their parents welcomed, with open arms, foreign nationals into our county and demanded they learn our language, and become Americans. Now because of the boomers, we press 2 for spanish.

    3. They allowed the gov’t to borrow money from unborn generations, and now expect those generations to pay for their retirements.

    4. They never won a war!

    History always repeats itself. Let’s educate our children on the 3 R’s AND the difference between right and wrong. Let’s not create another worthless generation like the boomers.

  14. Tristan says:

    Sugar, how about not frequenting a place if you don’t like the smell? Don’t want to work somewhere with cigarette smoke? Find another job. Intolerance of something you don’t like about others is bigotry. You might as well ban opinions you don’t like.

    It seems no one is capable of weighing the pros and cons of these sorts of things. Since I ride a bike or walk to work often, I think we should pass a new law that bans automobile use in town. Since global warming is “proven, indisputable fact” thanks to Al Gore and his private, carbon spewing jet, clearly you are all destroying the planet every time you turn the ignition. The exhaust stinks, too! I don’t want to smell it anymore! If 51% of people agreed with my delusion, would that make it ok?

    c.princess, I think that’s a bit naive. Why bother wearing clothing at all if it’s my fault that my mind goes to the gutter when I see a girl wearing very little of it? It’s human nature, whether you believe in evolution or Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Sex is instinctive and we cannot expect that we are so incredibly-civilized that it is not an issue.

    To answer your question, dress is “inappropriate” when it turns you into a walking billboard for hormones. So we can either be civilized and realize this quietly and respectfully, or we can be uncivilized and opt for ridicule and cat calls. Any woman who says she dresses scantily because it makes her feel good needs to think for a minute about WHY it makes her feel good. The answer is that it makes her desirable, and not in an “I want to talk and get to know you” kind of way…

  15. Kelly says:

    1. Having a daughter makes that clothing issue so real! Seriously! The other night we saw 14-15 year old girls in the park wearing shorts that could probably be considered underwear, with socks up to their knees. My husband was like, “Never is she leaving the house dressed like that!” And I flashed back to being 14-15. I didn’t leave the house like that. I had pants on OVER that kind of stuff and simply removed it and stashed it.
    Teenagers are stupid!

    2. Above-mentioned girls were yelling back and forth to the thuggy teenage boys that play basketball by our park. A lot of “What’s your name?” and things like that. Those girls are going to be knocked up quickly. Those boys don’t even look like their parents are ready for children, let alone them.

    3. Smoking. BLECH. I was that kid hot-boxed in the car with gross ash-tray parents. I hear about second hand smoke and want to get a body scan almost weekly.

    Sorry for the book.

  16. Sugar says:

    Tristan- I’m not sure you understood my comment. I don’t care if there is a smoking ban. If I smoke, I just go outside, no big deal. I think it’s nice to not come out of a resturaunt or bar smelling like smoke. Before, I would expect to come home smelling like cigarette smoke. It didn’t deter me from going places.

    WTF so now I’m a bigot b/c you misread my comment?

  17. Hal says:

    Good point Sugar. I also live in Ohio and have to admit that it was very nice when the ban went into place. I don’t smoke, and I surely didn’t appreciate walking into a bar and smelling like smoke (or that I needed a shower) afterwards.

    Tristan, I’m not sure what your deal is, but I thought you comment was a little out there. Back just two years ago, probably 95% of all restaurants and 100% of all bars in Ohio allowed smoking. So you’re saying that I just shouldn’t go because I don’t like it? Hello!?!? I go and tolerate it just like everyone else. Let’s be honest. Your automobile comparison was a stretch. And as far as what c.princess said, yes she might be in the minority, but she still gets an opinion. My guess is that she’s gorgeous and can wear whatever she wants and look good in it. I don’t like the way some kids dress either. But I do agree with you that it’s not fault if I’m gawking, it’s just being human.

  18. NeoConDon says:

    Hal is way off. There were plenty of places that didn’t allow smoking before the ban. Great Lakes Brewery was one of the first. Most of the chain based bar and grill places allowed smoking only at the bar and had expensive ventilation systems in place so you couldn’t even tell if there was smoking going on. Applebees was one of them. Bob Evans and Denny’s did a great job seperating the smokers from the non smokers. It’s the corner bar that did not have a smoking system in place, and you could choose to go there or not go there. Instead, the anti-smoking zealots made the choice for everyone, and many bars and resteraunts are going out of business. Who’s standing up for those business owners and the laid off workers?

    Anyone that grew up in Nazi Germany can certainly understand this: First they came after the Jews, but nobody stood up for them. Then they came after the Catholics, but nobody stood up for them. Then they came after the homo-sexuals and nobody stood up for them. Then they came after the sick and disabled, and nobody stood up for them. Then when they came after me, there was nobody left to stand up for me….

    The anti-smoking zealots will get their due because eventually someone will come after them….I guess we’ll finally learn if elephants really do never forget…

  19. Tristan says:

    Sugar, I didn’t misread, I guess that just makes you a passive bigot. You don’t care that bigotry is taking place because you like the outcome. Look, I hate cigarette smoke. It irritates my eyes and the smell is horrible. But for me to deny the freedom of a business to have a smoking section is more disgusting than the smoke. I would be removing the freedom of others for my own personal gain. That is not right and it amounts to bigotry.

    In the past, I would have certainly appreciated that you are considerate enough to go outside to smoke. Unfortunately, the law has taken that consideration away from you and now you are just doing what you’re told, thus it is no longer your virtue. I can’t very well show much appreciation for it anymore, sorry.

    Hal, what is the difference between my automobile comment and cigarettes? I think destroying freedom because you don’t like the smell of something is just as insane as destroying it based on incomplete science. Use my other example if you don’t agree. We should ban alcohol from public establishments, or better yet, altogether.

    What Don said about our collective voice is exactly right. No one does ANYTHING until their rights are personally being violated. When that happens, it will be too late for you. Just as you don’t care when it happens to others, others will not care when it happens to you.

  20. Sugar says:

    Triston, if you think that bigotry is taking place regarding no smoking in business’s, then by all means, start a petitition like the other “bigots” who got the smoking ban passed.

    It doesn’t matter to me either way. If you don’t like something, petition to change it. That’s the only way that you will get the outcome that you want.

  21. Zig says:

    The answer to the hotly dressed ‘little girls” question is to ignore them. Older men who look at young hotly dressed girls are peidophiles! The idea that it’s simply “human nature” for grown men to look at little “GIRLS” is absurd!

    The answer to the no smoking question is to go outside. I can’t

  22. NeoConDon says:

    Zig might have a point here…why can’t the non smokers go outside when a smoker lights up? Why should the smokers have to listen to the non-smoking zealots making stupid comments and stupid faces when someone lights up. They can simply go outside, especially in the winter when it’s below zero.

  23. MajorLeague09 says:

    1)I can’t believe the way some girls dress now a days either. I just love the fact that they dress with extremly short shorts and very revealing tops and then get upset when people stare at them or make comments. I have witnessed this many times while walking around the mall,I hear a group of boys making comments about the girls outfits and the girls will sometimes get upset or seem uncomfortable. Yet they have dressed themselves and have put themselves out there(literally) and they should be ready to take whatever comes there way. As for the writing on the behind…it’s cute on little kids til the age of 2 after that it shouldn’t be anywhere near the backside.

    2)I live in PA near the NY border and i’m happy to say that PA passed the smoking ban law last september. As you can tell i’m not a smoker and it is so nice to be able to go out to eat and enjoy the taste of the food instead of smelling smoke. NY passed there smoking ban before PA, and it was so nice the first time I walked into a restaurant and they asked if we wanted a booth or table not smoking or non-smoking. One question I’ve asked my co-workers who smoke was why when they smoke in the car do they roll the windows down? Surprizingly a lot of them said they don’t want there car to smell like smoke. They don’t mind putting the smoke into there lungs, but haven forbid there car smells like smoke. As a parent I don’t want my child let alone myself to be around smoke. Everyone has a right to make their own decisions, but when there decisions start to affect my health I have a problem.

  24. Marissa says:

    Whew! It’s gettin’ hot in herre. Don’t wanna have to put on my scanty skankies. Oh please, that would be like Peggy Bundy on Married with Children.

    1) I can somewhat deal with teenagers dressing the way they do, just because they’re teenagers and it comes with their territory/rebellion, whatev. Remember how badly some of us dressed as teens? Even if it wasn’t skanky, it was probably shabby and raggedy. Unless you were on the golf team. And we turned out okay (I think). It’s the much younger girls getting all dolled up that seems ridiculous. I’m talking 7-12 yrs old. What’s Mom thinking? And what about Silent Dad?

    But on the flip side, in some extremist countries, women from the time they’re girls must wear the burka-thingys because showing anything other than their eyes might hornify nearby males. Unless the guy has a thing for pretty eyes.

    2) Smoking causes the cancer that’s killed too many people I loved. It doesn’t matter to me where the smoking is occurring. It just sadly reminds me of the people I’ve lost whenever I see someone light up.

  25. Jen says:

    I am always amazed at what the kids are wearing. I don’t have children myself and I am still offended. I am very allergic to cigarette smoke so have been very happy by the laws not allowing it in public places.

  26. c.princess says:

    I am entitled to an opinion so Hal thank you.

    I find Kelly’s statement about girl’s “getting knocked up quickly” ridiculous. I bet you also think all catholic school girls are promiscious.

  27. Tristan says:

    Sugar, I would rather petition people directly and try to get them to see why something is a problem rather than worry about some arbitrary list of names and signatures that will most likely accomplish nothing. My concern is freedom as a whole, not one narrow issue. Freedom does not exist on a list of names, but in the minds of individuals. As I said, I hate cigarette smoke, but the issue is freedom. If Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Adams were here today maybe I would sign a piece of paper with them.

    Zig, pedophilia is a psychological disorder where an adult is sexually-attracted to a prepubescent child…(i.e. pre-teen). We also stretch the term to include acts committed against children up to the age of consent. In Ohio, that age is 16. Still very young (relative to an old-timer like myself), but that is the law. So what exactly do you mean by “peidophile”? If you must know, any physical attraction for me as a result of human nature is quelled once I get into earshot of this type of individual. This all happens prior to needing any self-control. However, many people don’t have a great deal of self-control and also think “the dumber the better”, regardless of age. That doesn’t make them pedophiles, it makes them stupid.

    c.princess, I never said you weren’t entitled to an opinion. I just explained why your opinion, in my opinion, is naive. That’s kinda what this sort of debate is. Most people live in a dream world where their opinions do not affect others and are not open for debate, but that isn’t the case. If you offer your opinion openly, you should expect it to be criticized by those with differing views. That doesn’t mean either side is right, it means we should discover what is right based on discussion.

  28. Sugar says:

    Tristan- it’s those arbitrary list of names and signatures that did accomplish something.

  29. NeoConDon says:

    …and to follow up on Sugar’s point, not only was this accomplished with list of names and signatures, it was accomplished at the state level. It would be very problematic if it happened at the federal level under the desire to control health care costs. That’s where our liberty will be over-run with tyranny.

    Additionally, it was not accomplished by states being bullied by the federal gov’t in the same way the stupid seat belt laws were accomplished.

    There is a group working to make the law fair. I hope it can be worked out and we can prevent the corner bar from going out of business. The decision belongs to the business owners.

  30. Tristan says:

    Good. But my agenda is not to repeal the smoking law. I hate smoking. My agenda is to convince others that freedom is worth consideration next time.

    My only hope in climbing the slippery slope is that I can get others to lend a hand. What good will it do to try to undo damage that is already done when by the time that is accomplished a dozen other hits have been taken?

    Freedom used to define American. I have to believe there is still a spark of it left in us.

  31. (rolling up my sleeves…) Listen, there will always be this discussion about taking away rights and freedoms by not allowing folks to smoke, but the whole thing about rights is this: You do not have the right to something that infringes upon the rights of others (second hand smoke). There really should be no discussion, as far as I’m concerned.

    As far as the clothing goes, I don’t think it’s right and the parents should grow a pair, but it doesn’t really affect me in any negative way that I can’t live with. They aren’t my kids so good luck to the parents, they will live with what they create. This doesn’t mean I don’t support school dress codes, I just can’t do anything about what they wear in public but be annoyed so why waste my time?

  32. Oh, I forgot to mention, no one is allowed to disagree with me today because it’s my birthday 😉

  33. dani says:

    Oh damn..great topic…think Im gonna come back and put my opinion in when I have a couple of minutes !!!! 🙂

  34. William Gatherer says:

    ok…ok.. Here goes.

    SMOKING…
    If you want to do it, I agree the outdoor policy is in effect. HOWEVER, pick up your butts. Not only is it bad enough I have to duck the cloud of Marbys and Menthols on the way out of work, but then I have to look at butts to boot. Also, If you smoke in your car, please utilize the ashtray (or go buy one that fits in your cup holder) and dispose of them properly. I say this for two reasons. Birds think that these butts flying out the window are good to insulate their nests, which can cause a wicked brush fire, also, I have had to dodge a few embers on my motorcycle as the wonderful “Considerate” smoker launched it harmlessly out his/her window and it bounced to my general direction.

  35. c.princess says:

    Tristan I’m not asking why I’m being criticized. I knew when I left my comment I would be.

    With everything else that is going on in the world today is what a person wears really an issue?

  36. Tristan says:

    Jennifer, saying second hand smoke is an infringement of your rights is a serious stretch. If that’s the case, it’s also an infringement to pollute the air with your car, as I said, or to talk when I don’t want to hear your voice, or to make employees work in the sun (cancer!), or to not shower before going to the store. This is the problem with rights and liberty. No one knows when to stop and you can always justify the next power grab by using the previous.

    William, throwing cigarette butts is littering. Good luck finding a cop that wants to do his job, though. That’s the other problem with power grabs–we have so many new laws that we forget to enforce the old laws!

    Look no further than the thousands upon thousands of cases of fraud falling through the cracks right now, not to mention extortion by those among the highest offices in the nation, namely Ben Bernanke and Hank Paulson.

  37. thinkinfyou says:

    WOW do I have thoughts on this subject. First of all, I became a mother at age 17,and that child is going to be graduating from HS in June and has received a full ride to The University of Florida,so I don’t think becoming a mother at a young age means right off that you’ll do a shitty job at being a parent. I think being a good parent has more to do with being able to be selfless in a very selfish society,I mean let’s get real some people no matter the age never lose “it’s all about me” personality defect,and that’s why you have little girls walking around wearing clothing that screams WOULD SOMEONE, ANYONE PLEASE FUCKING LOOK AT ME, SHOW ME I EXIST!!!
    It’s human nature to want attention and if their parents are too busy giving that attention to their own selfish needs ,the child has no choice other than to find another way of getting their needs met.

  38. Tristan says:

    Exactly. It’s all very basic psychology. If daddy doesn’t love me, I’ll find someone who will! Unfortunately, the Baby Boomers were not particularly good parents, on average. The next generations are in return so selfish that they refuse to even consider “settling down” until they are mid 30s and in many cases too old to even have children, at least no more than one, so you could say there’s a silver lining…

    Of course this creates a serious demographics problem, particularly since things like social security are pyramid schemes that rely on the contributions of future generations. Oops.

  39. Man. I’ve been trying to read this post all day but something always came up!!!

    1. Regarding the way kids today dress. I’m not a parent yet and I’ve noticed this slutty trend in teens for years now. I don’t know if its cuz kids are having kids at younger and younger ages but I think its just a lack of parental supervision. Some parents just find it easier to give into their childrens crazy demands regarding clothes then argue with them.

    2. I’m a non smoker and I hate the smell of smoke. I especially hate seeing people smoking in the car with infants and young children. I hope they pass a law that you can’t smoke in cars with kids. Seriously, as if we don’t know the dangers of second hand smoke!

  40. Tristan says:

    Jenny, why would you want to limit what others can and cannot do with their children in their cars?

    I’ll ask this question again–if cigarette smoke and “poisonous” CO2 from car exhaust are both such horrid things, why don’t we all stop driving and find some other, “safe” way to get around? I ride my bike, so can everyone else. It’s healthy, therefore it will lower health costs and will make everyone happier. Why don’t we make automobiles illegal? Is that poison ok because you like it?

  41. Tristan,

    I think the difference between cars and smoking cigarettes is kind of huge. I understand that cars give off polluants too but its not like we are sitting there with our mouth around the exhaust of the car trying to take in as much as we possibly can, do we?

    We KNOW the harms that smoking can do to our bodies and to our children’s bodies. We make the decision on if we want to smoke or not. Why should a child not get that choice? A lot of children today are born with asthama and their lovely parents smoke in the car on the way to drs. appointments. Great job there! Wonderful parenting. Why don’t you just plug an IV into the kid and give them some Chivas too?

    I never said those parents shouldn’t smoke ANYWHERE. I don’t believe they should be smoking in a car with children. It’s WRONG.

    As for giving people the right to smoke… We just passed a law two years ago in Montreal that you can not smoke at bars, clubs, restos or anywhere unless its a cigar lounge. I for one was very happy. I however, thought that telling people they are not allowed to smoke out is kind of crappy. So now smokers go out to eat and rush straight through their meal to be able to go outside and smoke.

    Why not have smoking establishments and non smoking establishments? This place right here is a non smoking resto. You can not smoke inside…But across the street its the same type of resto only it allows smoking. You, as an adult, have the right to choose if you want to smoke while eating a meal and ingest oh I don’t know, about a thousand prior customers second hand smoke.

    Adults have these choices, infants don’t have the right or ability to choose. It’s supposed to be up to their parents to provide them with the best care they can give.

    To parents who smoke in cars with their children….I’d like to high five them all across the face!

  42. NeoConDon says:

    When I used to smoke, I did not smoke in enclosed areas like cars with my children, or in my house. Still, creating a law that prohibits it is absurd.

    I agree with Jenny on smoking and non smoking places, however, the owner of the establishment should decide, not the gov’t or a majority vote. In ohio, prior to the anti-smoking zealots getting a smoking ban passed, there were plenty of smoking and non-smoking places. Today, there are far less places in business because the smoking ban has crippled the local corner bar that the anti-smoking zealots would never go into in the first place.

  43. Laura says:

    Ok Tristan…now I’ve been silently reading all the comments and honestly don’t care either way about the smoking ban or how teenagers dress. However, you struck a nerve when you said that the children of the baby boomers are “selfish” because we are waiting longer to settle down and have children. Are you kidding me?? If anything we are SMARTER! I am a 27 yr old single, childless woman who has a great career and own my own home. I have a pretty good chunk of money saved in my 401K and do not struggle from paycheck to paycheck. If I would have had children at your acceptable age of early to mid 20’s I would not be as succesful as I am today. As for settling down, if I could find a decent guy with half a brain, I just might! But I am not going to settle down just because society tells me I should be married and have kids by now. As for people having kids in their 30’s…more power to them! More than likely these people will be much more mentally and financially secure then those having children in their early 20’s. Not to metion…we are living much longer these days and people in their 30’s are comparable in health to people in their 20’s.
    Maybe you didn’t mean that as a slam and I’m probably blowing this way out of proportion…but I would never call my generation “selfish”. I was really suprised by your comment.
    Sorry to get so off topic…. 🙂

  44. Dan says:

    Laura, you are not blowing it out of proportion. Tristan needs to get slammed every now and again. Lol. Sorry, but it is true. He and Zig need to come back down to earth and reality with their views sometimes. Good discussion overall though.

  45. Laura says:

    Amen to that, Dan!

  46. Tristan says:

    “He needs to come down to Earth,” says the man with his head in the clouds. What trees can you see in the forest from up there?

    My point is that our generation is so concerned with material wealth and “success” that we have nothing left to give to anyone else. I’m really not trying to be insensitive, but I’m never surprised when a “successful” person goes home to an empty house…I am surprised when they wonder why.

    I applaud your fiscal responsibility, Laura, don’t get me wrong, but it has a way of being your only concern. There are always exceptions, so hopefully that is the case for you.

    The only explanation for a shortage of sensible parents is selfishness–too selfish to care for your children or too caught up in yourself to bother with children at all. So let me be completely inhuman and relate to this from a fiscal standpoint. At some point we reach an age where we are no longer of use to our economy. At this point it is expected that we have children (and grandchildren) prepared to take our place. Without children to offset our twilight years, we become a net burden on society.

    So there are two options for Baby Boomers now and two options for us in the future. Suffer or your children suffer. For Boomers, that means play golf and take medication to allow you to live to an excessive age artificially while your children and their children pick up the tab, or simplify your life to bare essentials and go when the time comes. For us, the choices are similar, but we can ease some of our pain by choosing to have children. Our children, if given proper care, will grow to share our burden and the burden placed on us by our parents.

    Pain is coming, regardless. Mark my words.

  47. Tristan says:

    Jenny, there are some among us who believe that cars are worse than cigarettes because they are destroying all life on the entire planet. Personally, I think they are deluded, but if enough people agree on the same delusion, you’d better get out the chain grease.

    Telling a parent not to smoke in the car means they can’t smoke in the house either. You are telling people how to raise their children. Next step is to tell them how many hours of TV their children are allowed to watch. Tell them what to feed their children. Tell them how much time to spend playing outside. There is nothing wrong with guidelines. This IS something wrong with intrusive laws.

    We begin dying as soon as we’re conceived. We are never going to change that, and it isn’t your responsibility to ensure the quality of life of any child but your own. If you are concerned, start adopting, start advocating responsible parenting, but please don’t try to force your views onto society through law. Have some respect for the freedom of others.

  48. Extreme John says:

    There is only one thing I can’t stand more than a parent smoking in their vehicle with a child in the car, and that is a parent not having their child in a seatbelt.

    Smoking with your kids trapped in the car with you is beyond careless, beyond disgusting and beyond selfish. Thanks TCC for getting the blood pumping today.

  49. Thanks for the feedback. I’ve never seen your blog before, but will add it to my links.

    Anyway, you need to calm down and learn how to be more content. Just be happy the old women weren’t smoking crack.

    Also, at first glance I thought the title of this post was “Genital Irritants in the Air…”

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