Bar owners: Baltimore cops target smokers for loitering
The Baltimore Examiner ^ | March 8, 2008 | Stephen Janis


BALTIMORE - Banished smokers taking nicotine breaks outside bars in one of Baltimore City’s trendy neighborhoods are being told to move or face fines and arrest for loitering, bar owners said.

Hampden bar owners said they were shocked last week when police began warning patrons to move 150 feet away from the entrance of bars they were patronizing or face loitering charges.

“Loitering has always been a legitimate problem in the neighborhood that we couldn’t get police to deal with,” said Benn Ray, owner of Atomic Books and head of the Hampden Village Merchants Association.

“So why all of sudden is the Police Department being aggressive with smokers when they haven’t been enforcing loitering laws for 10 years?”


“Harassing customers who are smoking creates a dysfunctional relationship with the community.”

At Frazier’s, a popular Hampden hangout, day manager Tabrina Sherman said the message police gave to patrons smoking outside her bar was clear.

“They were told they need to move 150 feet away or they will be fined first and arrested the second time.”

City officials said enforcing loitering laws has grown trickier since the statewide smoking ban went into effect Feb. 1.

“Particularly in front of bars where there have been a history of problems, we have asked patrols to be aggressive to enforce the loitering laws; however, the smoking ban changes the dynamic,” said Sterling Clifford, spokesman for the Police Department.

Oh boy! I can hardly wait for them to try to enforce loitering laws where I live. The bars will have NO business!

Just as they intend.

The series finale of The Wire airs tonight on HBO.

Anyone who has been watching this 5 season series can't help but laugh (or cry) to hear that the Baltimore City Police Department has nothing better to do than harass smokers.

You can kiss those bar's existences goodbye.

Btw, why isn't it considered loitering 150 feet away?

quote:

At Frazier’s, a popular Hampden hangout, day manager Tabrina Sherman said the message police gave to patrons smoking outside her bar was clear.

“They were told they need to move 150 feet away or they will be fined first and arrested the second time.”

Ahhh, the "clear message" again.

"Clear message" is the newspeak of anti-smoking. When they say "clear message" what they mean is "We're willing to do anything we can to show that we hate your guts".

Remember when they were only asking that you step outside? Hey, what's the big deal? Just step outside?

150 feet? That's the distance of the 50 yard line on a football field from the end zone. That's the distance from home plate of a shallow outfield pop-fly in professional baseball.

You could detonate a hand grenade and you'd probably still be safe at 150 feet.

They've made a small statisitical bump in people who were exposed to ETS over a period of three or more decades into the equivalent of a bomb going off.

Crazy. Pure craziness.

sending a "clear Message" eh

I think all those antis realize the boo boo they made buy clearing the air inside to outside do to the fact the air exchange every 8.3 mins ..so hence the additional distance their pushing smokers to trek outside away from the buildings

bunch anti hogwash

quote:

Originally posted by WinstonSmith:
You could detonate a hand grenade and you'd probably still be safe at 150 feet.

I'd still duck, but you're probably right.

If I remember my hand grenade training correctly, if you're within 15 meters of an exploding hand grenade (roughly 50 feet) you have a 50/50 chance of being killed or injured.

Another safety tip: DO NOT stand within 150 feet behind a 105mm recoiless rifle. It's also unsafe to stand behind, but to the side either. The backblast has a triangular pattern, but I can't remember the shape.

In conclusion, this ban will protect smokers from both a grenade attack and a 105mm recoiless backblast.

50 meters sounds right for frag grenades......

But, don't you know???? SHS is much deadlier. We could have just blown cigarette smoke at the enemy, and if they could'nt get their MOPP gear on fast enough, they'd have been goners.

Just think of all the money the DOD could have saved, substituting Camels for M67 frags, lol.

How do the police get close enough to the smokers to warn them without injuring themselves, with a bullhorn?

THIS IS THE POLICE! YOU SMOKERS ARE VIOLATING THE LOITERING LAW! MOVE 150 FEET TO YOUR RIGHT AND STAND THERE WHEN YOU SMOKE!

but won't that be loitering too?

NO!

why not?

I DON'T KNOW!......NOW MOVE OR I'LL CALL IN SHSWAT!

$#@#$%$

WHAT DID YOU SAY!!!!!?

nothing.

come on guys, let's find a new bar to drink at.

LOL.