Local News Board

I was just in reading our town's "discussion board" and there is this huge battle going on between the owners of a local bar and restaurant (The Docks - I happen to frequent them) and the fact that 90% of their business is or shall I say "was" smokers. Vermont passed a law stating that smokers are no longer allowed anywhere now. The Docks has suddenly lost more than half of its clients because they had to make the bar end of that restaurant non-smoking. I've been in there numerous times and the smoke/ventilation system was more than adequate. I feel really bad for the owners now as their profits are no longer covering their expenses and they've had to put up a for sale sign.

I don't smoke and yes I am well aware of health concerns. However, I look around me... So when does the ban on diesel exhaust come into play? That stuff is gross and could choke an elephant. There are plenty of things that annoy, there are health dangers out there everywhere. Is banning all smoking bars the solution? No. How about this for an idea. Designate bars for smokers and then bars for non-smokers. The owners can decide which bar best fits their patrons. If you don't smoke - DON'T go into a bar designated for smoking only. Why has today's society made that so impossible? Women fighting like crazy to get into male establishments... I can just see the outcry if a man were to sue to become a member of say La Leche - the breast feeding organization. And for the record, supposedly with the right hormone cocktail a man can produce milk so why not men in La Leche???

So while I'm at things that bother me and are hazardous to my health:

1. Plumbers who can't pull up their pants as they work. Okay, every time I see plumber's cleavage I want to hurl. I might choke on my vomit, so that's a huge danger. Let's get all plumbers suspenders right now!

2. Teenagers wearing pant waists around their knees. They might trip and fall when I'm walking behind them and then I'd trip and fall too. Potential injury there - so I say all clothing designers need to redesign the fashions just because I say so!

3. Rap Music. That stuff is nasty and threatens to deafen me, so I say out with the rap music right now. Ban it!

Shall I go on?