Nanny Laws Be Damned!

Here in Southern California, we have nanny laws like this -- you will be ticketed if you are smoking in a vehicle with a baby in it.  Doh? 

Some are sensible - freeway billboards say, "Hang up!  $157 ticket - it's not worth it" (or words to that effect.)  Cell phones in cars have to be hands-free.  But now, it is legal to TEXT as long as it's a hands-free device.  I guess you would dictate?  "C" "U" "L" 8" "R"?

No phone use, no text use at all would make our roads a lot safer.  No one is so important that they have to be reachable 24/7 and those that think they are?  Well, they are asses.

Most recently, the great metropolis of Hermosa Beach (winter pop. 30,000+/-; summer pop.100,000+/-)  banned all smoking on the beach.  It's a weird situation -- picture a lower case "t"  The short crossbar is Hermosa Avenue, "t" top represents the Plaza with numerous patio bars/restaurants.  On the far, or eastern side of Hermosa you can smoke, but if you cross the street and smoke?  Cops will get you.  I have no idea how much the ticket might be, I don't go west of Hermosa any more.  

The Redondo Beach council is now considering banning smoking on the Pier which is our biggest attraction to inner city people.  However, the council forgot a critical factor with these visitors.  A great many of them are gang members and they are armed.  What do you suppose might happen if a sworn officer stops one of these mad dogs and says, "Put it out!"

I discussed this thorny point - police risked vs. smokers banished - with a retired L.A. County Sheriff and he was appalled.  (Deleting some colorful adjectives) the gist of his message was:  Our lives aren't risky enough?

Here are others...

San Francisco:  if you don't recycle your trash, you can be fined $500
Minnetonka, MI:  fined up to $2,000 for having a muddy car
San Juan Capistrano, CA:  it's against the law to hold a home Bible study without a conditional use permit.
Hilton Head, SC:  it's against the law to have trash in your car

Various US states:  it is illegal to collect any ranwater that falls on your property; legislation has been passed that makes it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their kids; feeding the homeless has been banned due to "health reasons,"  the lunches that little kids bring to school are opened and inspected to make sure the contents match USDA guidelines.