The [Honolulu] City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to “bring onto transit property odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors arise from one’s person, clothes, articles, accompanying animal or any other source.”
Councilman Rod Tam, a co-sponsor of the bill, explained why it is needed:
“As we become more inundated with people from all over the world, their way of taking care of their health is different. Some people, quite frankly, do not take a bath every day and therefore they may be offensive in terms of their odor.”
[…]
“There’s the whole issue about at what point does it become illegal,” [Chairman Gary] Okino said, noting that city attorneys are researching the matter. “How smelly does a person have to be? Just to base things on smell, I just don’t feel good about that.”
[…]
If convicted, a person could be fined up to $500, spend up to six months in jail, or be both fined and jailed.
How bad does one have to smell to get 6 MONTHS jail time? O_O
we need some kind of odor-meter. what about people who are biologicly more “smelly”? Then this law wont pass as it will be discriminatory
This is one of the silly bills that have no merit much less a way to determine if the law was broken.
These ‘bills’ are usually brought up to go after the stupid conservative voters that complain about this sort of nonsense yet ignore the bigger issues that elected officials don’t touch because it’s too hard or controversial.
#2-Dallas
How is this a conservative issue? Judging from recent Democratic Party decisions they are the ones that stink on ice.
Punishment is the hallmark of the Repuglican party–Bushie Boy smiling and smirking as he brags about the number of prisoners he has put to death.
Democraps take the liberal way: gee, you smell bad, would you like a free class on hygene, medical checkup? How about at least offering a medical/mental checkup OR a fine before we go all primeval on someone?
Punish the poor and the ignorant==they had their chance.
That six month stint will make them smell REAL good!
Too much fun.
Let see they catch me when I let go of a big stinky fart.
I always go….
‘Smelt it, dealt it’
then someone will say
‘Rhymed it crimed it’
and I say
‘Rapped it crapped it’ Pass the beans please..
Does this mean that all NYC cabbies will be arrested also?
Those nasty foreigners don’t have a bath every day? Since we don’t care about foreigners, only red blooded Americans whats the problem? Doesn’t effect us.
After all if they want to be here, they have to at least reach the level of cleanliness every American achieves.
They don’t understand how hard it is hard being no 1 at everything – including sanitation.
What to do if the buses themselves stink? I think all that fresh Hawaiian air has affected their minds.
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion issue. Just try to stop Jehovah Witnesses from preaching in front of stores because they haven’t showered that day. In my case, I cannot worship God in the manner I choose if I am forced by someone else to bathe, it is also a violation of my free speech rights for anyone to speak about not allowing me to wear Kalvin Cleen fragrances regardless if they “offend” someone. If everyone was thrown in jail for “offending” someone, who would pay taxes?
Does it define what odors are smelly? Has language in it that could discriminate against blind people with dogs. Dogs are smelly, but we usually make an exception for guide dogs.
I’m not sure it’s a freedom of speech issue, but its certainly an unreasonable restraint on trade, freedom to lobby, and restraint on transport. And I’m actually pretty surprised no one’s noticed so far that this is pretty clearly aimed at the homeless. It’s just another vague “anti-vagrancy” ordinance that’ll get shot down once it gets its first test case. (It’s vague enough it’ll get there fast, too.) It *definitely* fails the vagueness and overbreadth tests.
Capital offense: Bringing an unwashed seeing eye dog on board.
A false belief that all foreigners (and indigenous native people) are dirty and malodorous and untrustworthy and scheming and immigrants must be isolated from mainstream society. It’s the worst kind of BS, it institutionally victimizes and isolates and marginalizes a vulnerable social group. A little further on and it becomes “ethnic cleansing”.
What if it was just an inadvertent shart?
Raise the water bill, and enforce THIS??
Fun isnt it..
Pay a water bill over $80-200 per month for washing clothes and your PERSON, and they expect you to be CLEAN??
Can we go into the Water problem now?? That the population in many areas are suffering from Water shortages and depleted Aquifers??
It’s some lame brain local legislator that was “offended” by being exposed to someone else’s order.
They then think to themselves, wouldn’t it be great if there was a law against an odorous person, I could have them arrested and forced bathed. It would be good for them and the public. I am just very grateful that this type of thinker didn’t exist in places of respected power when the constitution was being written
As I said some lame brain local legislator thought this up!
The wealthy who don’t do any real work anyway, to build up a sweat. And can afford to bathe twice a day. Can now ride the bus in comfort, without worrying about smelling any of the locals. Who really need to ride the damn bus, because they can’t afford a Mercedes to bomb around Hawaii in. And what are they going to do about passengers with Seeing Eye dogs? “Excuse me, your dog smells like a dog. You’ll have to get off the bus or go to jail.” Maybe the state can just give smelly people a cab allowance.
I say good. If you smell that bad to get the attention of a cop you should be made to go wash your Behind. I don’t know about jail time though. That’s harsh. Of course how do you define smelly and how do you get proof?