11 January 2013

Filthy smokers asked to clean up their act

| johnboy
Join the conversation
44

The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) and ACT Policing are urging smokers to dispose of cigarette butts appropriately, especially during elevated fire danger weather forecast in the ACT over the next few days.

A TOTAL FIRE BAN is in place for the ACT until midnight with SEVERE fire danger conditions expected.

The ESA has received reports of people witnessing smokers throwing cigarette butts out of their car windows during the EXTREME fire danger we experienced in Canberra on Tuesday.

Smokers are strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle or anywhere which could spark a fire including footpaths, medium strips, sporting fields, grassed areas, gardens, reserves and bushland.

If a fire starts at the forecast fire danger level of SEVERE, it may become uncontrollable and move quickly.

If you witness someone throwing a cigarette butt out of the window of vehicle windows and a fire starts ring Emergency Triple Zero (000) immediately.

7:55 AM

[Courtesy ESA]

Join the conversation

44
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
thebrownstreak699:31 am 14 Jan 13

Instant Mash said :

As a smoker, how hard is it to use the damn ashtray in your car?

I once asked a smoker this exact question. The answer? Because it’s dirty and makes the car stink.

Instant Mash3:34 pm 13 Jan 13

As a smoker, how hard is it to use the damn ashtray in your car?

And if you don’t have one, it’s not hard to find a Coke can or something. Throwing ciggie butts in this weather is downright moronic.

AsparagusSyndrome1:40 pm 13 Jan 13

Eyeball In A Quart Jar Of Snot said :

Hey guys, we’re now on the second page of a smoking thread on the Riot Act, and I’ve yet to see the phrase “work camps”, or “final solution”.

The lynching is still operating on a grassroots level.

Did you know smokers were responsible for 9/11?

Damn dirty smokers. You won’t find a more vile, ugly, morally corrupt gang of heathens… on the Riot Act…

You’d better be careful, or your straw man might catch fire.

Eyeball In A Quart Jar Of Snot1:04 pm 13 Jan 13

Hey guys, we’re now on the second page of a smoking thread on the Riot Act, and I’ve yet to see the phrase “work camps”, or “final solution”.

The lynching is still operating on a grassroots level.

Did you know smokers were responsible for 9/11?

Damn dirty smokers. You won’t find a more vile, ugly, morally corrupt gang of heathens… on the Riot Act…

To the young female driving a Mazda 3 – BTO 26D on Southern Cross Drive at 11.30am today……..why did you throw your cigarette out the window when there are so many fires already. No brains………

gazket said :

More cigarette bashing , nowdays smokes go out in 30 seconds or less if you stop sucking on them. I doubt flicking a butt on Northbourne is going to start a fire

I’m a biker, and retards that flick their butts out the window without even looking are dangerous.

So getting a smouldering butt (so to speak) in the helmet (so to speak) would not be fun.

So jerks like you who think it is OK deserve whatever bad karma is coming their way.

OpenYourMind7:03 am 13 Jan 13

gazket said :

More cigarette bashing , nowdays smokes go out in 30 seconds or less if you stop sucking on them. I doubt flicking a butt on Northbourne is going to start a fire

Assuming you are being serious, then you are seriously wrong. I’ve recently stomped out a small fire in a median strip started by a lit cigarette.

Why is it that we can impound and crush the cars owned by people who do burnouts and not those of people who throw lit cigarettes out the car window – particularly in high fire danger times? While a burnout may be noisy, socially unacceptable to some and carry a level of danger to a small number of nearby people, the act of throwing a cigarette out the window can potentially kill 100s of people.

gazket said :

More cigarette bashing , nowdays smokes go out in 30 seconds or less if you stop sucking on them. I doubt flicking a butt on Northbourne is going to start a fire

Guess that makes it ok then?

Madam Cholet said :

I’m contemplating also contacting my local Woolies or even the national office to suggest that they enforce a no littering rule for their employees. At my local Woolies the pathway is a disgrace where the checkout chicks congregate.

.

Why? Do they leave slim trails? Scatter seeds? Too much fake tan overspray?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd3:44 pm 12 Jan 13

gazket said :

More cigarette bashing , nowdays smokes go out in 30 seconds or less if you stop sucking on them. I doubt flicking a butt on Northbourne is going to start a fire

Wow so surprising you have that sort of view.

You really think dry grass has a 30 second limit before it ignites?

More cigarette bashing , nowdays smokes go out in 30 seconds or less if you stop sucking on them. I doubt flicking a butt on Northbourne is going to start a fire

Has anyone else usd “Snap Send Solve”? It is an app for your iphone where you take a photo of someone doing something illegal and it then determines your location and sends it to the necessary Government body for the type of incident you describe.

You hear it here first (or maybe second or third)

I hassled a 17 year old kid for throwing a lit butt out of a car about a year OK. He drove off. Didn’t achieve much.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd12:04 am 12 Jan 13

LSWCHP said :

vulpior said :

Back in the UK I used to flick ash out of the car window but stub butts in the ashtray. Moving here, and being aware of the fire risk, I stopped even flicking ash out of the window. I can’t believe that people do.

I work with a bloke who lives in the weeds outside Yass. He says he’s seen two people flick their butts out of their cars in a shower of sparks in the last week alone. This, in the middle of the worst fire danger week in years, which included the hottest day in Australia since records began.

I lived on bush blocks outside Canberra for 15 years, so I’m not surprised. Complete imbeciles with no consideration for the lives or property of others pull this stunt all the time. I have a long list of people I’d like to snipe from long range if only the law would allow it, and fire-danger-period butt throwers are right up there, along with recidivist drink drivers, burglars, child molesters and others of that ilk.

+ 1 except for me it would be up close and personnel.

You can report them, call canberra connect or there is a link to an incident report form on this page:
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/city-services/city_rangers/littering
You will need to take down as many details as you can like time, location registration and other vehicle details. I have filled out a report before, I would be interested to know what is done about these.

vulpior said :

Back in the UK I used to flick ash out of the car window but stub butts in the ashtray. Moving here, and being aware of the fire risk, I stopped even flicking ash out of the window. I can’t believe that people do.

I work with a bloke who lives in the weeds outside Yass. He says he’s seen two people flick their butts out of their cars in a shower of sparks in the last week alone. This, in the middle of the worst fire danger week in years, which included the hottest day in Australia since records began.

I lived on bush blocks outside Canberra for 15 years, so I’m not surprised. Complete imbeciles with no consideration for the lives or property of others pull this stunt all the time. I have a long list of people I’d like to snipe from long range if only the law would allow it, and fire-danger-period butt throwers are right up there, along with recidivist drink drivers, burglars, child molesters and others of that ilk.

Johnny_Moe said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Felix the Cat said :

Why do people need to be “strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle”, are people really that stupid that they can’t work out for themselves that this is dangerous and irresponsible? Rhetorical question…

Lets be realistic, smokers are not the smartest group of people.

Let’s be realistic, you’re either a [i]virgin man-boy[/i] living with your parents, ORRRRRR, you married your high school girlfriend for fear of being forever alone, and now you find solace on the internet demeaning others because it’s the only way you can get validation in life. Either way, all smokers have taken note of your wise words and we will start studying hard to make you love us more.

78 x 15 + 16 – 52 = Math

Oohhh yeah. I’d like some of what you’ve been smoking. Definitely mind altering…

Back in the UK I used to flick ash out of the car window but stub butts in the ashtray. Moving here, and being aware of the fire risk, I stopped even flicking ash out of the window. I can’t believe that people do.

Tetranitrate7:46 pm 11 Jan 13

Johnny_Moe said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Felix the Cat said :

Why do people need to be “strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle”, are people really that stupid that they can’t work out for themselves that this is dangerous and irresponsible? Rhetorical question…

Lets be realistic, smokers are not the smartest group of people.

Let’s be realistic, you’re either a [i]virgin man-boy[/i] living with your parents, ORRRRRR, you married your high school girlfriend for fear of being forever alone, and now you find solace on the internet demeaning others because it’s the only way you can get validation in life. Either way, all smokers have taken note of your wise words and we will start studying hard to make you love us more.

78 x 15 + 16 – 52 = Math

translation:
“im 17, i smoke a pack a day, and im mad”

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Felix the Cat said :

Why do people need to be “strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle”, are people really that stupid that they can’t work out for themselves that this is dangerous and irresponsible? Rhetorical question…

Lets be realistic, smokers are not the smartest group of people.

Let’s be realistic, you’re either a [i]virgin man-boy[/i] living with your parents, ORRRRRR, you married your high school girlfriend for fear of being forever alone, and now you find solace on the internet demeaning others because it’s the only way you can get validation in life. Either way, all smokers have taken note of your wise words and we will start studying hard to make you love us more.

78 x 15 + 16 – 52 = Math

I thought it was illegal to throw rubbish out of the car window – regardless of fire danger?!

TheDancingDjinn1:28 pm 11 Jan 13

peitab said :

People smoking pipes look highly suspicious.

+1

Also, in the end, you can just say no to the bogans who try to bum a ciggie off you. Just make sure your pack is hidden and always claim that was your last one.

This is in no way an endorsement of smoking – as a non-smoker, it’s awful having to be around people smoking.

Never works, I don’t smoke but I have been asked for a cigarette more than once.
Just recently though, an old woman in a nightie at the Spence 7/11 asked me for one, I said “sorry I don’t smoke.” she then went on to tell me I should buy her a packet, as they were only 10 or 15 dollars HAHA I almost died laughing.

poetix said :

NoImRight said :

Really hoping someone pipes up soon saying taxes on cigarettes help fund the Fire Brigade so they are entitled etc. Ive always liked that argument.

pipes up.. tee hee

You were my inspiration 😉

NoImRight said :

Really hoping someone pipes up soon saying taxes on cigarettes help fund the Fire Brigade so they are entitled etc. Ive always liked that argument.

pipes up.. tee hee

People smoking pipes look highly suspicious.

+1

Also, in the end, you can just say no to the bogans who try to bum a ciggie off you. Just make sure your pack is hidden and always claim that was your last one.

This is in no way an endorsement of smoking – as a non-smoker, it’s awful having to be around people smoking.

Madam Cholet12:59 pm 11 Jan 13

TheDancingDjinn said :

Suspicious ? really? i had the image in my mind of Dr Koresh looking quite like Sherlock Holmes, interesting, and cool… not at all suspicious. – Was your father suspicious? heehe

No, my father is just down right mad. He didn’t smoke a pipe when out and about, however I do sometimes see a chap crossing the road in the mornings on my way to work, and he definitely looks suspicious. And just a bit icky.

Really hoping someone pipes up soon saying taxes on cigarettes help fund the Fire Brigade so they are entitled etc. Ive always liked that argument.

TheDancingDjinn12:14 pm 11 Jan 13

Madam Cholet said :

DrKoresh said :

Madam Cholet said :

Anyone who throws a cigarette out of the window at any time should be charged with attempted arson or at the very least reckless behaviour endangering life.

Even unlit ones, presumably? If so, you’re a nutter. Anyway, I smoke a pipe now to avoid having to dispose of butts and to avoid having to give smokes to every bogan and his dog.

Well obviously a lit one given that this is what the post was originally about. Why would someone throw an unlit cigarette out of the car. Most smokers know how many they have at any one time and give them up reluctantly.

Pipes. Yikes. Do you smoke it around others, because they are quite foul. My dad used to partake on occasion so I have first hand experience of being enveloped in pipe fog. People smoking pipes look highly suspicious.

Suspicious ? really? i had the image in my mind of Dr Koresh looking quite like Sherlock Holmes, interesting, and cool… not at all suspicious. – Was your father suspicious? heehe

thebrownstreak6911:55 am 11 Jan 13

switch said :

That’ll be the day. The world is a smoker’s ashtray.

+1. A more inconsiderate bunch you will not find.

Madam Cholet11:42 am 11 Jan 13

DrKoresh said :

Madam Cholet said :

Anyone who throws a cigarette out of the window at any time should be charged with attempted arson or at the very least reckless behaviour endangering life.

Even unlit ones, presumably? If so, you’re a nutter. Anyway, I smoke a pipe now to avoid having to dispose of butts and to avoid having to give smokes to every bogan and his dog.

Well obviously a lit one given that this is what the post was originally about. Why would someone throw an unlit cigarette out of the car. Most smokers know how many they have at any one time and give them up reluctantly.

Pipes. Yikes. Do you smoke it around others, because they are quite foul. My dad used to partake on occasion so I have first hand experience of being enveloped in pipe fog. People smoking pipes look highly suspicious.

MsCheeky said :

Oops, there’s the pesky ‘medium’ strips again. Are median strips ok? Big ones or small ones?

Darn it, beat me to it.

Guys, guys, you’ve missed the point! We have a “strip” here in Canberra! Granted it’s only a “medium” one, but better than a small one eh!

Madam Cholet said :

Anyone who throws a cigarette out of the window at any time should be charged with attempted arson or at the very least reckless behaviour endangering life.

Even unlit ones, presumably? If so, you’re a nutter. Anyway, I smoke a pipe now to avoid having to dispose of butts and to avoid having to give smokes to every bogan and his dog.

Smokers don’t give a toss for themselves, do you really expect them to give a toss for anyone else?

Smokers are strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle or anywhere which could spark a fire including footpaths, medium strips, sporting fields, grassed areas, gardens, reserves and bushland.

Oops, there’s the pesky ‘medium’ strips again. Are median strips ok? Big ones or small ones? (And don’t I feel good about being a non-smoker again, about 8 months now.)

Ghettosmurf8710:47 am 11 Jan 13

Smokers who chuck their butts out the window without a thought for the consequences would surely have no problem if a passer-by decided to throw a stone through their back window either, would they? Neither could possibly be harmful at all…could they?

“…. Smokers are strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle or anywhere which could spark a fire including footpaths, medium strips, sporting fields, grassed areas, gardens, reserves and bushland….”

So does that mean it’s OK if they throw their butss out the window in low risk areas?

switch said :

That’ll be the day. The world is a smoker’s ashtray.

Unfortunately, you are spot on. It’s quite depressing to see the butts and other litter in the various alcoves near where smokers congregate outside buildings, etc.

Madam Cholet10:23 am 11 Jan 13

I read something the other day that said that the ACT would follow NSW with regulations to ban smoking at public places like bus stops, train stations etc. However it apparently will take up to four years to get it done, (why I don’t know). Good news as far as I’m concerned – it’s quite gross when someone sparks up at a bus shelter. I had a go at a woman the other week who lit up inside one of those newish glass shelters at Woden. She moved quick smart I can tell you – and she was probably in her 60’s and should have known better.

I’m contemplating also contacting my local Woolies or even the national office to suggest that they enforce a no littering rule for their employees. At my local Woolies the pathway is a disgrace where the checkout chicks congregate.

Anyone who throws a cigarette out of the window at any time should be charged with attempted arson or at the very least reckless behaviour endangering life.

It is quite odd the way that smokers don’t see it as littering.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd9:43 am 11 Jan 13

Felix the Cat said :

Why do people need to be “strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle”, are people really that stupid that they can’t work out for themselves that this is dangerous and irresponsible? Rhetorical question…

Lets be realistic, smokers are not the smartest group of people.

it’d be nice if they issued more fines for smokers throwing butts out the window or littering the footpath with them

If it’s a TOTAL fire ban, surely that should apply to cigarettes? Why do smokers get an exemption?

I’ve never understood the mindset of smokers who would never just throw their maccas wrappers out the window but see no problem/no link with throwing their butt out?

Felix the Cat8:47 am 11 Jan 13

Why do people need to be “strongly urged to not throw cigarette butts out of the window of a vehicle”, are people really that stupid that they can’t work out for themselves that this is dangerous and irresponsible? Rhetorical question…

That’ll be the day. The world is a smoker’s ashtray.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.