A Random Missive

Here are two things I've noticed while traveling.

Great Britain hates dog crap. In Stratford-Upon-Avon I noticed signs posted that said that if you didn't pick up your dog refused you could be fined 100 pounds. In Edinburgh I've noticed similar signs. On Islay I was treated to a diatribe on the matter from our hostess.

Evidently dog dirt (as our hostess called it) was a major nuisance in public places so Great Britain started to crack down on it. Our hostess found it especially revolting. So much so, they she was complaining that there was a person on the island that would allow their dog to run around in waist high grass and not go in there and clean it up. I'm not a fan of dog dirt, but I thought worrying about a giant field full of tall grass (and full of sheep crap) was taking it a bit far. No so. I was surprised to learn that sheep dirt did not bother her. Goat dirt did not bother her. Cow dirt did not bother her. But dog dirt...that's just revolting and must not be tolerated.

Another observation about Edinburgh that may already be a problem in cities in the US, or maybe it's a problem that we are currently working on creating. Here smoking in any public indoor place is forbidden. Which is very nice in pubs and restaurants. However the net effect is that people who want to smoke must go to the sidewalk to smoke. As soon as anyone leaves a building they start smoking. Either they hang out in front of the building that they've popped out of for a quick smoke, or they smoke on the way to their next destination. As a result, walking along the streets in the evening is an exercise in breathing near constant second hand smoke. You have to leave the outside and go into a building to get any fresh air! I'm not sure what they could about it either. I don't really support outright banning smoking. That's a slippery slope to banning all sorts of things. However I can't say I really enjoy breathing smoke either. Why must smokers be such an inconvenience on those around them? (Also why don't they think throwing their butts on the ground is littering?)