The Smoking Ban Won't Be Much of a Ban
If you were worried about the Health Department's proposed ban on smoking in city parks and beaches, you can breathe a sigh of relief (or carbon monoxide, if you wish): While Mayor Bloomberg says he totally supports the idea, he also says the city doesn't actually plan to enforce it. "Our Police Department has enough to do. They can't be going around giving tickets," Bloomberg said. Now that's a slippery slope, isn't it? The next thing you know someone will come along and propose that the NYPD stop handing out parking tickets, enforcing open container laws, or arresting people for possessing drugs intended for personal use. [NYP]