Honestly I'm happy with the BC Provincial Court ruling that convicted a smoker for starting the huge forest fire of 2003. (CBC article) Before smokers get violently defensive I should mention that I do partake in cigarette smoking when the mood suits me. However, as a rider and a human who cares about the environment in which we live, I have a problem with butt tossers. Even in the heart of Vancouver, in the summer, we get little wildfires burning in medians because of people tossing their still burning cigarette butts out of their hands while walking or out of their windows while driving. The fact is that this is dangerous for all flammable things in the vicinity. I never throw a butt out my window, unless it's raining, until I've put it out or let it go out, and if there's an ashtray available, I use that. If I'm standing about somewhere, after dropping my butt a quick crush'n'twist of the foot renders it safe garbage. It doesn't seem that difficult to do, but then, I actually think about the impact of my actions on others and my surroundings. Let's leave the whole risk of burning things down argument behind for a moment as that court ruling has hopefully made some smokers think twice about where they throw their smoldering embers. I'd like to address the issue of flying cigarette butts on the roadways. I'm speaking from the perspective of a rider, but it also effects anyone who walks, bikes, drives with a window open or has a convertible. When smokers throw their butts out the window while driving that damn piece of flaming garbage flies a good distance and is often in danger of, among other things, flying into someone else's vehicle or hitting people. Personally I ride in fear of one of those butts hitting my face, getting lodged in my helmet, or getting into the collar of my jacket. I have to use all four limbs to ride and if something like the above should happen there's almost nothing I could do to stop the ember from burning away at my flesh until I could find a way to safely pull over...presumably while screaming in agony and cursing the life of the tosser. I've been lucky so far, my friend Dave has not, but he paid the offender back in kind. A couple of summers ago Dave was riding along with his jacket half unzipped to allow some air flow when some asshole in an SUV threw a cigarette butt out his window. The butt landed right inside Dave's jacket and started to burn through his shirt, somehow (I don't know how he managed, but I'm eternally in awe of him for it) Dave managed to grab the butt with his clutch hand without losing control and crashing his motorcycle. With the butt firmly in hand he caught up to the offender's still open window and threw the still lit butt back into his vehicle. Dave kept on riding, hopefully teaching that guy a lesson, and watched in his mirror as the driver pulled over to deal with his own hazardous garbage. Dave was very lucky, like I said before, he could easily have a burn scar on his face instead of a great story of rider payback. Now whenever I'm following a smoker, I take note of their license plate so that if they cause me or my motorcycle any harm with their self-absorbed carelessness, I know who to report to the police. Trust me, there's little I hate more than being involved with law enforcement officials in any capacity, but for fuckers who throw burning garbage out their windows at those around them, I'm willing to go the extra mile.
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