No this is not a sermon on the evils of tobacco, the harm that smoking does to your body, or anything of the sort. This is a rant from someone who rides a motorcycle and has felt the negative effects of your laziness, or worse...your desire to harm.
When you smoke in the privacy of your own vehicle you are harming no one else, assuming you are in the car alone (second hand smoke is another subject this is not addressing). BUT, when you throw a lit cigarette out your window you have invaded the public realm; especially if that lit cigarette happens to hand in front of a motorcycle rider or actually hit that same rider or his passenger.
About a month ago I was commuting home from work and someone threw out a cigarette butt right in front of me. It may have been a cigar because the ensueing explosion of sparks and debris was quite extensive. At least one of these sparks hit me in the corner of my face very close to my eye. I can only imagine what could have happened if I didn't wear glasses.
Then just a day or so ago I had a similar experience when a cigarette butt hit me square in the faceshield of my new full face modular helmet. Not to brag about owning a new helmet, but if I had not been wearing it where would the burning ash and debris have gone?
We are still mourning the loss of a fellow biker after an 18-wheeler lost a wheel or something relating. Folks, it doesn't take a large object like a wheel off a semi to do severe damage, even death. So please, either use the perfectly good ashtray in your car, rake the fire off the butt before you discard it, or just don't smoke while driving. Those of us coming up behind you appreciate it!
1 comment:
Amen brother!! It seems as tho every time I ride to work, someone throws out a lit cigerette butt out thier window right in front of me. Thanks for posting this request. God Bless
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