Great Neck Village, NY

Hadn't heard of the town either?  I'm not surprised.  It's part of Long Island apparently and they just had to have their 15 minutes of fame this week.  How'd they do that?  Well apparently they thought it would be a brilliant idea to ban smoking in ALL public places in the town.  While I have no issues with restricting smoking areas, saying that a citizen cannot smoke ANYWHERE in public is a bit far to me.  I have to deal with crying babies in public.  I have to deal with barking dogs.  I have to deal with 70-year old blue hairs who can't see over their damned steering wheels and drive in MY STATE!  Why aren't there laws to put a stop to that (mostly the last two as I love babies and I do realize that they cry because they don't have the ability yet to say what is upsetting them)? 

I know that some people feel that smoking isn't a right, it's a choice.  And they also feel that the choice shouldn't be forced upon others who are concerned for their health and that of their loved ones.  I get that.  However,  I pay taxes just like everyone else.  Should I visit the little hamlet of Great Neck Village, NY, I feel I should be able to take a stroll down Main St. (no I do not know if they in fact HAVE a Main St., it's a generalization) and do some window shopping while enjoying a cigarette.  That's a right I have, if you don't like it, go on the other side of the damned street.  Or, if you feel that you must restrict where people can smoke, why doesn't the city set up areas IN PUBLIC that the smokers can congregate.  Think of it as a way to get them all in one place so that they can share the carcinogens and thus rid the world of them faster.

Oh yeah...the fine for violating this little law?  Up to $1,000.  Yes, you read that right.  A grand for smoking in public.  That is ridiculous, pure and simple.

Maybe this is just getting to me as I'm quitting smoking right now and it just really makes me want to go light one up and blow the smoke in some city official's face...who knows.