Smokers, Chuggers and Street Obstructions
I go to Upper Street in Islington quite a few times a week. I had to walk from Boots near the tube station to Carluccio’s, which is a few hundred metres towards HIghbury Corner.
It was the usual obstacle course.
For the first part of the walk, the road was lined by smokers trying to commit suicide, dropping litter and making life unpleasant for everybody else. Several smokers even had babies in buggies. If anything should be made illegal, it should be to smoke in the street within five metres of a child under five.
Then there were the chuggers, protesting this time against torture. I can sympathise with their cause, but whilst they continue to plague my life, they are just wasting their time.
and then there were the street obstructions like these.
Street Obstructions in Upper Street, Islington
My eyesight has got better now and I seldom bump into them now. You will see from the photograph, that Islington Council has improved the pavement, only for the banners and bicycle to be added to make it an obstacle course. I would think that a better idea might be to sell the advertising space on the side of the litter bins at the edge of the pavement. At least those are well out of the main walking route.
There was also this abandoned bicycle.
An Abandoned Bicycle in Upper Street, Islington
Or it certainly looks so. I’ll check tomorrow to see if it is still there.
We wonder why people flock to out-of-town shopping centres. You don’t get any of the annoyances of chuggers, smokers and unnecessary obstructions.
The Anonymous Widower 
[…] Islington Council an e-mail giving them my views on the obstructions in Upper Street, I detailed here. What annoyed me was the details they required afterwards about me. About the only information […]
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I can understand your feelings about chuggers as they are an intimidating menace for many, exploiting sometimes vulnerable people with their unethical hard sell approaches.
I can’t understand your feeling about smokers though. Don’t believe what they tell you about passive smoking as there is no real risk particularly in the open air. Also they help to keep your taxes down so you should be thanking them. Tax revenue far out weighs the health costs. I would be more concerned with the health implications of traffic fumes. Can I ask if you drive?
Comment by Mike smith | December 17, 2011 |
The problem with smokers on the street, is that they unnecessarily block the pavement. I also lost my son to mancreatic cancer, probably caused by smoking, a la Steve Jobs.
Traffic fumes are getting better and there is research that shows with some diseases like asthma, naked flames are a much worse hazard. The gas cooker that came with this house, is going, as soon as I find a nice electric replacement.
I don’t drive now, but that is because I’ve had a stroke, which has buggered my eyesight. But living where I do, not having a car is a blessing not a problem. I even go to IKEA on a bus. I suspect, that in a year or two, I might be able to drive, so I’ve still kept my Lotus Elan.
I thought my name was common, but you must be the fifth or sixth Mile Smith, that’s come into my life.
Comment by AnonW | December 17, 2011 |
Sorry, I thought you were attacking smokers for who they are because they are an easy target and the only minority group which you legally post hateful remarks about. Didn’t realise that it’s just because they obstruct the pavement.
Just one tip. Traffic fume are far and away more toxic and damaging to health and the planet than smoking so Next time you drive your Lotus Élan (which isn’t exactly the most fuel efficient of cars), just think of those poisonous fumes that we all have to breath in. Remember though, the poisons in the concentration.
Comment by Mike smith | December 19, 2011
[…] anything with cancer or loss in it, gets my consideration. On the other hand charities who use chuggers don’t. You will see from the links on the blog, a couple of the charities that I currently […]
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