guess it didn’t hurt that the looming thought of being pummeled by thousands of spectator passed though the guys small brain…
I moved to Maine about 2 years ago and you basically can’t smoke anywhere. Now I’m spoiled and am shocked whenever I see someone smoking in a public type of setting.
the only place I see people smoking regularly is on campus… stupid college students! don’t they remember learning that smoking is bad for you? That was a kindergarten lesson 
Kathleen - good for you for asking the guy to stop. Telling him, rather.
I’m glad that some of you agree with me…I feel bad for the others. If I was the athlete he was supporting I would have been embarrassed and disgusted by his utter lack of respect to the athletes coming through that shute. I could care less that he was smoking…it was where he choose to do it that bothered me! For those of you who have been to LP, he could have easily been up on the hill not effecting anyone!
I think the kicker was his 10year old son was bugged by him too! Because the way he took the little hand clapper thingy and smacked him in the face (another post all in itself) showed the kid was embarrassed by what his dad was doing.
After this incident, and what some of you have said I have chosen as a Race Director to officially make our September 9th event, Pumpkinman Sprint, a SMOKE FREE EVENT! There will be no smoking allowed at the venue. If someone wants to smoke it will have to be off property. And guess what it’s our event so that’s how it is going to be! Check out our site www.pumpkinmantriathlon.com for an aerial view and you will see, that if someone wants to smoke they’ve got a little journey to make to the public road!
you need to get over yourself. no one cares if any smoker wants to kill themselves. as far as im concerned, go smoke yourself to death, but dont do it around me. no one wants to smell that stink on them if they dont smoke themselves. my parents smoked as i grew up so for me its not a ‘morality’ issue nor am i on ‘patrol’ but i do have a right to breathe clean air without someone sticking an obnoxious foul (and harmful) stench in my direction.
Okay, so the next time I see a mugger on you, I’ll make sure to not tell him to bugger off.
As someone else noted, I love the response to the “who are you?” question…that will be in my arsenal from now on!
Good for you taking a stand.
So you bowed up to a 17 year old? And threatened him? Because you’re concerned about the influence or health effects of smoking on your daughter? And then like the OP seek to brag about it too the rest of us? Am I only one seeing some problems here?
Problem? What problem?
You must not have heard. The world revolves around each individual triathlete. A triathlete is a superior being, and a triathlete’s rights trumps the rights of everyone else. A triathlete has an ironclad right to dictate what behavior is acceptable and unacceptable to everyone around him/her.
A lot of triathletes are, apparently, self-centered assholes. OP included.
Don’t get me started talking about what I would have done had he laid a hand on my daughter…
Damn right I did. And I was just the one who spoke up. He was getting plenty of dirty looks from the crowd.
Sorry if that’s a “problem”. I guess you just like to roll over and wet on yourself when you see injustice.
I’m not saying they are assholes but it does seem the idea of community and compassion have been thrown out the window. Squaring up to a 17 or yelling at some probably “newcomer” to the tri scene really are just wasted opportunities for compassion. It could have worked to talk to the smoker at the finish line and explain that its not good and not something generally acceptable around there. This would have left the guy with the feeling that maybe this a good accepting community and something he should maybe get involved in. Instead he probably walked away feeling like its something he can’t be apart or wouldn’t want to be apart of. And then getting after some 17 year old and not just asking seems like a real opportunity missed. I mean if you ask people nicely for the most part they comply unless they have a reason. It helps to take each situation that makes you angry and ask yourself how can I best show compassion in it.
So the only options are threatening a child (in front of other children) or rolling over?
This doesn’t have a single thing to do with triathletes. You want your rights, you’ve got them. Those rights do not include the right to trample mine.
By your logic, if I want to pass the time while waiting on line by beating the crap out of the person behind me, that’s just fine. I should be able to do whatever I want, right?
You really cannot see the difference between smoking in an outdoor venue, in which smoking has not evidently been outlawed, and beating someone to a pulp?
Of course you can’t, because you dislike smoking, and the world revolves around you. Everyone must accomodate your every desire and conform to behavior you deem acceptable, or your “rights” are being violated.
What are your feelings about dogs?
Gee, next time I’ll ask for ID first so I can make sure it’s not a “child”. I guessed at the age. Could have been older. Whatever. Fact is the guy had no manners, no thought to any one around him (typical teenage behavior, but certainly not limited to such). As I said, I was just the one who said something. Also not saying that rolling over is the only option. But when you say you hate “policing others behavior” it tells me that you just let other people do whatever they like, you won’t say anything. Looking the other way? I bet that makes you feel all warm inside…
Sorry, I act.
You’re a hero!
You’re an assclown.
The difference is only in the amount of harm your inflicting. How about, instead of beating the crap out of them, I just poke them with a pin? Is that okay? It’s not hurting them very much. The pain is minor and it’ll be gone in just a second. Can I do that?
And your last sentence is so far removed from what I said that it barely rates a response, but I can’t help myself. I actually said the complete opposite. I don’t care what you do. Want to take golden showers with your neighbor’s wife and an ablino donkey? Knock yourself out. You seem to intentionally ignore that I take issue with your actions only when they affect me.
Well Brider I didn’t say I hated people who policed other peoples behaviour. I just think the way you went about it was a complete failure. You got what you wanted but your daughter got to see you act like a jerk, you probably made the kid (whatever his age) feel small when in turn you could have just said “hey that cigarette is bothering alot of people and there are kids around so would you mind putting it out”. That probably would have done alot to help the situation and teach your kid that intimadation isn’t the way you work and talk with people.
Its says alot that you feel like someone who is suggesting a more compassionate approach is someone who is just going to let others do what they want. Compassion is a action with a much more positive result then your approach of initimadating some unsuspecting kid. I say something but I do with a different intention then yours. And yes it does make me feel warm inside how does your actions make you and even better your daughter feel?
The difference is only in the amount of harm your inflicting.
Give me a break. They aren’t doing any harm at all. Don’t lie to me that the concern is health. Or, lie to me if you want, but don’t expect me to believe it for a minute. You folks don’t like smoking, and the smell bugs you, and you don’t think people should smoke, and you get offended when you see it. That’s all. If you were that worried about getting cancer by being within 15 feet of a guy smoking outside, you’d leave. But I will bet that never happens.
“You folks don’t like smoking, and the smell bugs you, and you don’t think people should smoke, and you get offended when you see it.”
so tell me how does one learn to read minds via the internet? that is onw special skill you have there.
Ever heard of asthma Kreskin?