By Leif Larsand Santa Monica
The officers on bikes on the Promenade don’t seem to even notice all the smokers. They seem to resent being reminded about the ban.
Most often, they are busy talking to each other in groups of two and three, as they zip by smokers.
So far, it seems like the smoking ban is like the dog and smoking ban at the beaches. You can light up right in front of a staffed lifeguard stand with your dogs running free.
No matter if all beachgoers are dressed and there is no one in the water or even near the water as far as the eye can see, authorities will say “our primary role is life safety.”
Yeah, like cell phone networking and exercising. Seems no one on the payrolls of government agencies wants to be an enforcer of environmental policies.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 23, 2007. Read the original PDF.