Posts by dustycanyon6

John Perez85 said:We should let smoking just die out naturally through education rather than trying to force it with laws.

He-he. Don't you see that education doesn't really work these days? 😬 Just look at illegal drugs—people know more about them now than ever before, yet everyone seems to be using them more. So... education isn't going to end anything. Maybe people will finally quit when they start getting sick, or when every other person starts having massive allergic reactions to Environmental Tobacco Smoke. Or maybe we just need laws. 😉

restlessmarlin6 John Perez85 said:As long as those cigarette taxes keep padding the federal budget, all these bans are pretty much pointless... ☕

The government is bleeding money here... honestly, the cost of treating all those smoking-related illnesses is way higher than whatever they pull in from cigarette taxes. It just doesn't add up...

Jose Chase2 said:it gets even weirder—you've got brothels running full tilt with all sorts of crime and prostitution, but heaven forbid someone lights up a cigarette...🙄 🙄 🙄

What's even more ridiculous is how little these things actually have to do with one another. Nobody is out here protesting the existence of brothels; people are just fed up with the smoking... or rather, the secondhand smoke and the nuisance of it in public spaces.

Jose Chase2 said:Whatever, man... It’s about bars. I mean, really, who exactly has the right to tell us we can't smoke in a bar?

Is someone actually forcing you to go to a bar?... I mean, seriously... 😠😠

Are bars really just for smokers? I mean, who’s actually forcing you to go there... If you want to smoke, just stay home between your own four walls. Why let the smell soak into your clothes and wreck your entire house? Just don't bring that stench around us and ruin things for everyone else...

Jose Chase2 said:God forbid they come along and slap a ban on us... 😠 Honestly, you non-smokers are unbelievable... I mean, really. Do I ever complain to anyone about them not lighting up when we're grabbing coffee? No, I don't. Sure, it feels a little weird seeing one friend out of a group of five who isn't smoking, but I'm certainly not judging them for it... 😢 And he's a good guy even though he doesn't smoke! Why won't you people just let us live? Give us our freedom... 🙂

I really don't get some people... What kind of twisted logic is that? You definitely picked an ironic username! 😁 If anyone’s actually out there making moves, it’s the smokers. See, smoking is an action... not smoking? That’s just being a spectator. You aren't doing anything to anyone. So, let's just all agree to stop doing things to one another and go back to square one. Zero. Just pure air with no smoke in it. But then, if you decide to jump from that status quo into an "active" state—meaning you light up a cigarette—suddenly you're the one who did something. And what you did was hurt yourself and everyone else around you. Honestly, how can we even talk about banning something that shouldn't have been allowed in the first place? I’ve got a proposal... let's grab coffee a few times a week. You can spend the time poisoning me with your smoke, and in return, I’ll drop a little spoonful of Ariella into your coffee. How does that sound? That way, we're both being active participants instead of you being the aggressor and me just sitting here watching...

Samuel Doyle4 Jamie Cook2 said:I think I might try putting a slightly wider tire on the back... just to see how it feels... 🙂
And for... $267 Those hydraulic Hayes brakes... man... they just hit different. 😁

I honestly can't quite wrap my head around what you were trying to get at there... I'm just a little lost on the point you were making... $267 You just don't have enough love for the bike to go with only one disc, let alone two... especially since that rear setup is going to end up costing you a fortune... $50 It’s mostly because of those pricey hubs... Honestly, even if you try to hunt for a used one, with that kind of cash, you're still going to have a hell of a time trying to swap in hydraulic disc brakes.

Samuel Doyle4 said:I'm thinking about picking up a wheeler Pro 49... a buddy recommended it... since I heard it comes with a full Deore setup... what do you guys think? Will it hold up if I start hitting jumps?

That’s really not the right bike for freeride—it's way too long and the geometry is just off. You'd be much better off looking at something like a Bill Gates (Charger, Bigfoot), a Corratec X-Vert, or something along those lines.

Samuel Doyle4 said:and for $267 hydraulic Hayes brakes 😁

$250 Hayes hydraulic discs, $83 a high-quality new front hub (plus 400 for the rear), $30 one wheel matching... plus who knows how much labor will cost to install the disc (maybe $50, $100?) — basically, on top of the bike's price, adding a front disc is going to run you another $1,100... $400! Meanwhile, a Bill Gates Bigfoot comes with both hydraulic brakes already installed and costs $1867. Plus, the fork is way better. The only catch is it only has two chainrings in the front, so it might not be great for cruising on flat ground if you're trying to pick up speed. But then again, you could grab a Charger which has all three chainrings. And there are plenty of other brands out there too.

Just draw your own conclusion here—either buy a bike that already has disc brakes, or don't even bother planning to upgrade them later. You'll end up dumping way too much cash into it and just making your life difficult. 😉 Seriously, I learned that the hard way... now installing two Avid mechanical discs is going to set me back $833 because I have to swap out the rims too...

Samuel Doyle4 said:...dream on, baby... I'd need to drop a solid $800 on that... 😢



Taken from markoproject.com... a masterfully designed site.

Uh... their pages are pretty mediocre. Nowhere near "masterful." Especially the parts section... "This category currently contains no items." 😁

Scott Smith said:It seems like you don't really get what I mean when I talk about "privilege"...

Privilege is a funny thing... turns out it’s not always what you think it is. assigning... Some people see it one way, but others... they know the truth. It’s just... inherent. Hey everyone. Look, if anyone can light up whenever they feel like it without needing some special "permit," then we aren't really talking about a privilege here. It’s more about a right... one that’s been limited up until now because it keeps bumping heads with other rights...

Everyone has the right to smoke. But having the moral right to smoke around other people—especially non-smokers—is something absolutely nobody has. If the law says you can do it, fine, maybe you could call that a "right," but let's be real... it's just a privilege. A certain group gets the privilege to pollute the air and bother everyone else...

Scott Smith said:Discussions like this actually work... even when we're talking about privilege. It’s true that rights always take precedence over privilege, though. Take attorney-client privilege, for example. That bond carries more weight than the legal obligation to uncover the truth. An attorney isn't required to spill what a client shared in confidence...

Alright, true enough. If that's how it is, we're looking at some seriously heavy moral dilemmas... But when you talk about secondhand smoke affecting non-smokers? There aren't really any dilemmas there. A smoker just... well, they know what they're doing. Nothing... Just basic morality... or whatever you want to call it.

Scott Smith John Perez85 said:I don't necessarily agree that an outright ban is the right way to go... but I'm not going to get back into that debate again. I already laid out my full argument and everything on the previous pages... so there.

Nobody is actually stopping anyone...

Gerald Rivera17 said:1. Cancer is a leading killer in many countries.
2. Exhaust fumes cause cancer.
3. Because of point 2, plus a whole bunch of other physical and mental reasons, exhaust fumes harm both active and passive drivers.
4. Exhaust fumes stink. They make streets and rooms smell, they get on your clothes, your skin, even your hair.
5. Exhaust fumes shouldn't be used—they're used purely for the driver's own pleasure at the expense of everyone else around them.

When you add it all up, is it really okay for drivers to wreck our health and poison those of us riding bikes or taking the subway?

🙂

Personally, I think Washington, D.C. would run a lot smoother if we just cleared cars out of the downtown core and fixed the subway system. So... look, I'm not some huge car advocate—I ride my bike way too much anyway, and I can't stand how polluted D.C. gets. Honestly, Chicago is the gold standard compared to D.C.! You wouldn't believe the difference in air quality...

Regarding your list—traffic produces way less stench than cigarettes do, and you aren't constantly in direct contact with it like you are with smoke. And point 5 isn't quite right...

But here's the real kicker—do we really have to poison ourselves with everything we come into contact with? I feel like there should be a general trend toward minimizing how much we pollute. If we can reach that goal by banning smoking permits (since smoking IS strictly for the user's own enjoyment and serves no other purpose), then I'm all for it.

John Perez85 said:I wish I could just sit down with our leadership here in D.C. and convince them to shut down the very plant producing the stuff I breathe in every single day... all for the sake of the public good in America! But honestly, I'm worried this country won't be quite so protective or concerned about everyone's health when it comes to that...

You have to admit, though, cigarettes are something people use strictly for the rush—there's really no other upside to them. And they hurt everyone involved, whether you're lighting up or just breathing it in. You can't really put those two things on the same level...

John Perez85 said:Pleasure is such an essential part of being alive. We’d all probably live much longer if we just gave up everything we enjoy, but...

Look, I'm not out here suggesting smokers should just ditch their little comforts. I'm saying everyone else needs to stop wasting their lives on their own vices, too. For me, having a Pepsi is a total blast—am I poisoning anyone or making life miserable for someone else just by drinking a Pepsi!? 😕

Scott Smith said:This whole thread and the poll attached are all about this specific type of ban.

And this kind of revoking a privilege—specifically smoking—to ensure everyone has the right to breathe air that isn't thick with cigarette smoke is—well, more than okay. 😉 Rights always come before privileges...

Jose Chase2 said:Let's just say smoking isn't being banned...🙏🙏🙏

Honestly, who’s actually banning anyone from smoking? It’s more like the new laws shouldn't allow it in public spaces at all, maybe with some separate rooms that have decent ventilation. You don't really have a moral right to smoke right next to non-smokers—so how can anyone claim they're "banning" you? They can certainly deny you the space, but it's not a ban if you shouldn't have been doing it there in the first place...😉

I mean, look at airports—like in New York City or wherever else you go—where smoking is only allowed around these specific circular pillars. They're almost like little round bar counters, but they have built-in ventilation on top that sucks all the smoke straight out of the room so it doesn't drift everywhere...

Gerald Rivera17 said:That’s exactly why I can’t stand how everyone fixates solely on smoking. It’s just one little slice of our daily habits that does us harm.
But it's right there in front of us, so whenever we need someone to blame, it becomes the convenient scapegoat. 😉

And honestly? Even knowing everything there is to know, I’m still going to light up... 🙂

It's the exact same dilemma as what John Perez85 is dealing with! 😉 You guys go ahead and mix Ariel into your beer, and I'll just keep breathing in your cigarette smoke, and nobody's going to say a word to anyone. Sound good? Come on, don't be such wimps!

John Perez85 said:It’s totally normal to be scared of cancer... honestly, it's one of the biggest phobias people have across the European Union. But honestly, an extreme phobia is just its own kind of sickness that ruins your life. There's a very real chance you'll face some form of cancer at some point in your life, but there's also a massive chance it can be treated. Cigarettes—whether you're smoking them or just breathing them in—are really just one small piece of that much larger puzzle. I'm not trying to downplay how much cigarettes affect lung cancer, but I truly believe we shouldn't be panicking about it.

1. Cancer is a leading killer in many countries.
2. Cigarettes cause cancer.
3. Because of point #2, plus a whole bunch of other physical and mental reasons, cigarettes hurt both smokers and bystanders alike.
4. Cigarette smoke stinks. It makes rooms smell, it clings to clothes, it gets on your skin and hair... it's everywhere.
5. Nobody *needs* to smoke. People do it strictly for their own personal pleasure, even if it comes at the expense of everyone else hanging out with them.

When you add all that up, is it actually fair for a smoker to poison people around them, wrecking their health and making entire spaces smell? Tell me... is that okay? Would it be okay if we met up for a beer three or four times a week, and while you were smoking, I decided to drop a little dose of Ariella or Charlie into your drink for you to enjoy? Would you want that? To me, cigarette smoke is just as intrusive as if you found Ariella floating in your beer... probably even worse. My nose starts bleeding just thinking about it...

Gerald Rivera17 said:I'm a smoker, but I follow the rules. I smoke in my own office, and if I'm at someone else's place, I ask first. If they say okay, fine. If not, then no.

Give me a break... Asking permission to smoke isn't even the real issue here. If you put a non-smoker on the spot like that, you're putting them in a corner. They might want to tell you to knock it off, but they won't, because they don't want to seem like they're nagging you... even though they have every right to. Look, there are some non-smokers who truly don't mind the smoke, but they're definitely in the minority. And whenever I'm out with a group, I always end up being dragged off to the designated smoking area. So what am I supposed to do then?

For instance, if someone comes over to my house and asks if they can smoke, I'll just say no—simple as that. Honestly, it bothers me. I've got allergies, and if I already have to deal with smoke everywhere else, I at least want to be able to come home and let my lungs rest from breathing in all that crap.

Gerald Rivera17 said:I don't smoke in waiting rooms, especially not at the Department of Health and Human Services, or any public space where it's banned.
Even though I smoke, I just don't get those people who, the second they open their eyes, immediately light up a cigarette.

Then you aren't a real smoker! 😁

Gerald Rivera17 said:Sometimes those stupid anti-smoking campaigns irritate me. It’s like it's the biggest national crisis ever. They treat smokers like they're Public Enemy Number One.

Well, at this moment, it basically is! Don't you watch the news or anything? You know nothing about the consequences of smoking. I don't care if *you* get cancer—but I shouldn't have to catch it because of you. 👎

Gerald Rivera17 said:If we're some kind of minority, we should probably have some rights too.
If rights are handed out to every little minority or counter-culture group, why not us? It feels like we're treated like second-class citizens.

You DO NOT have the right to poison another person, especially if you're doing it SOLELY and EXCLUSIVELY for your own pleasure. Read my previous posts—what you're talking about is a privilege, not a right.

Gerald Rivera17 said:If the police don't go after that "activist" spraying paint on a woman's mink coat in Times Square, how are they going to enforce the law against smokers?

Around here, the police and other agencies don't really enforce half the laws on the books... At the end of the day, what matters is changing the mindset of smokers. They need to start thinking about the impact they're having on themselves and everyone else around them, whether people smoke or not. Maybe once the mentality shifts, you all will finally stop harassing us with cigarette smoke...

Elizabeth Alvarez13 said:Another thing that bugs me is how much people judge cigarette smokers while totally turning a blind eye to alcohol—I mean, alcohol ads are everywhere. Look, I'm a smoker myself, but I don't think non-smokers can act this biased and claim alcohol isn't harmful. It definitely is... both for the person drinking and everyone else around them. Take the extreme example—if I'm smoking, you can just step a few feet away to avoid me. But if someone's a drunk idiot speeding in a car, you can't exactly dodge that 124 miles/you won't have a choice. (And honestly, I wouldn't wish that situation on anyone)

Where did you get the idea that non-smokers don't see alcohol as dangerous, while smokers do? 😕 What does one have to do with the other?

nimbletinker3 said:Well, you actually just said it yourself—the chiropractor points you toward exercises that need to be done regularly.
I don't see what the big deal is there. I was wondering if you could walk us through what else a chiropractor can actually do... I'm not trying to be difficult or start some kind of back-and-forth argument here.
🙂

Best,

The exercises are mostly stretching stuff, you know? Just getting the circulation going and waking up those muscles. It’s a shame my paperwork from the chiropractor didn't include those killer level-two yoga moves... I do one of them every morning and night, and man, I can practically hear my spine clicking back into place. Total relief...

A chiropractor aligns your spine, eases the pain, or gets rid of it entirely... They can even help with random health issues you didn't even realize were being caused by pinched nerves coming off your vertebrae.

Look, I'm not saying chiropractic care is a magic fix for everything, but think about it this way: if your spine isn't in top shape, why would you expect your body to feel perfect? (Just a thought...) Standard medicine usually just chases symptoms, whereas chiropractic work tries to dig up the actual root cause so the body can heal itself. If it doesn't work, then clearly the spine wasn't the culprit. But hey, at least now you know...

Kimberly Grant said:Yeah, my lower back is killing me.

Why don't you just find a solid chiropractor? Honestly, you're better off just dealing with the pain or making up excuses than not doing what actually works. Usually, you feel some real relief right after that first session, and depending on how bad it is, the pain might even vanish completely after a few visits. I mean, unless money is tight, because those appointments can get pricey... but man, is it worth it. What can I say—if I hadn't seen a chiropractor, my spine would be a total disaster by now. It’s not perfect right this second, but it’s definitely manageable. I probably should be going in maybe two or three times a month to stay on track, but I really hate parting with the cash... so I just aim for once a month and pray my back doesn't totally fall apart before the next visit.

Taylor Swift said:They ran allergy tests on my little one because I kept pushing for them, but everything came back totally clear. Apparently, allergies can be tricky at such a young age and sometimes don't even show up on a test. I eventually figured out it was a milk issue just by using an elimination diet. It’s funny how things work out... my husband used to love giving our kid chocolate milk for dinner, and I always had this gut feeling that it wasn't doing him any favors. Then the symptoms started popping up, so we began cutting things out one by one. During a checkup, my husband mentioned the chocolate milk to our pediatrician, and she basically told him it was junk food 🤣 (poor guy looked so crushed 😬 ) so that same day he made some cornmeal porridge with buttermilk instead. The second it touched his mouth, his stomach flared up... I knew right then we were dealing with the exact same thing I had.
We cut out all other dairy too, and honestly, he hasn't so much as had a cough in two years 🙏

Just a heads up, lactose intolerance and a milk allergy are two completely different things.

Casey Palmer5 said:Man, just wait until the local pubs start shutting down because smokers stop showing up...

That’s like saying people stopped driving cars just because they can't handle one beer. 😉

Casey Palmer5 said:Remember how much restaurant owners complained about zero-tolerance laws? This is going to hit them way harder. Or they'll just end up having outdoor patios even in the middle of winter 😁.

Nice use of the past tense there! Who even talks about zero-tolerance anymore?

Casey Palmer5 said:If smoke-free cafes actually made money, you'd see them all over Washington, D.C., instead of just two or three.

Not really. Your post makes it sound like if smoking gets banned entirely, everyone will just stay home and smoke in their living rooms instead of going out. A small group might act like that, sure, but most people won't.

Also, smoke-free spots don't work because one smoker ends up dragging the whole non-smoking crowd to a place where it *is* allowed. It's frustrating. Even when we go to a cafe just for dessert, if there's one smoker and three of us non-smokers, we always end up migrating to the smoking section.

By the way, which two or three are you talking about? And where are they? If only there were more...