Smoking in Bus Shelters

When I was living in Kitchener, I relied on the Grand River Transit (GRT) to get me from point A to point B. The majority of those bus trips were in the winter time. Although Kitchener's winters are milder then other parts of ON, there were still days where I felt the icy wind sting my cheeks and almost solidify my legs to icicles. During those waits I often waited in the bus shelters. During some of the waiting periods, I smelt something odd and unpleasant. When I turned around to look, I saw someone smoking in the bus shelter in spite of the sign across the front of the shelter that says no smoking.

I think those signs in Kitchener are there for decoration. Whether it is a beautiful and warm sunny day, or a rainy and miserable one, I sometimes still saw people sitting in the bus shelter smoking.  I have even read tweets from people on Twitter, such as @crushnaut, catching GRT drivers smoking in non-smoking areas. Not only are these drivers, the ones who are supposed to be obeying the rules, enabling people to break them but are almost rendering the rules null and void. This whole issue of people smoking in areas where it is prohibited is a problem.

Why is it a problem? It's not problem because they are just breaking the rules. It's a problem because those smokers really are being disrespectful of the people around them in many ways. First, they know as well as the rest of us that smoking in an enclosed area is not good for people's health. This is why it is illegal to smoke in a car with a minor in it. By releasing second hand smoke into an enclosed area, a smoker is exposing everyone that's in it to much more second hand smoke then they would if they were smoking outside.

Second, the smokers are making a very big bet that the people in the bus shelter with them will not be bothered by it. I don't mean simply not liking the smell, but I mean people who could severely react to it. For example, one of my friends who has severe couldn't stay in a bus shelter in the winter time when it was really cold in Kitchener and the wind was brutal, because someone was smoking in it. On another day she had to stand outside during a down pour in the fall because again someone was smoking in the bus shelter. By smoking in the shelter, smokers could risk threatening someone's life because they'd much rather smoke inside then outside. What if someone with lung cancer, a severe case of asthma, or worse walks into the shelter?

Third, they are endangering the health of children. As I said above, it is illegal to smoke in a car when a minor is in it. Children in many ways are more prone to severe health problems, like developing asthma, because their lungs and other organs are not fully developed and matured to be able to withstand this sort of thing. Once I saw a person start to smoke in a bus shelter that was also occupied with a woman and her baby while it was raining. What could the woman do? Her baby can't be exposed to the rain, but the bus shelter isn't safe anymore because someone is smoking.

To me, failing to comply is in many ways failing to be a modeled citizen, and is inconsiderate . As for GRT drivers, this is showing poor customer service, because you aren't respecting the well being of your passengers when you smoke in areas that you're workplace deems is inexcusable.

What can be done about this? First, I think smokers in Kitchener need to obey the law. They are not allowed to smoke in bus shelters ever. Second, I think GRT needs to start obeying and enforcing the law. Smokers wouldn't do it if they couldn't get away with it. Third, I think they need to make bus shelters that people can smoke in. I don't think it's fair for smokers to endanger others by smoking in bus shelters but I don't think they need to suffer out in the rain, wind or snow either. Rather, I think that GRT should provide some kind of shelter for them to go and smoke in peace without worrying about the elements or harming the people around them.

If there are smoking and non-smoking bus shelters, then everyone has a place to hide under when the weather isn't doing so well. Though I suppose smoker's could wait until they got home, for example, to smoke, it is still nice to have the option. Those bus shelters are there so that customers don't have to wait and be exposed tot he weather, so there must be a way to have them so they don't exclude anyone. When smokers smoke in shelters, which by law exclude smokers already, it inevitably excludes people who would be severely hurt, if not killed, if they are exposed to second hand smoke. Giving smokers would remove that exclusion.