If there was an award for the "nanny state" city of the Lower Mainland, it might very well go to New Westminster.
Just in the last week, the city has set its sights on smoking in public and now it's pondering hiking penalties for folks who plant their cars in parking spots reserved for disabled drivers. The city already has a bit of a reputation for social engineering, given its living wage policy and a sometimes paternalistic attitude to its residents.
And, frankly, we like it. Perhaps it appeals to the disciplinarian in us. We're tired of strolling through a public park only to see squirrels gathering cigarette butts. We're tired of seeing smokers jutting out their lower lips and channelling smoke towards innocent bystanders at bus stops. And we don't think anyone has the right to smoke anywhere on any public property.
We're downright fed up with drivers who disregard the rights of disabled drivers. Someone mentioned a potential $450 fine - we say double that and make the selfish bastards hop on one leg across McBride Boulevard at rush hour.
And don't even get us started on ratrunners. We were delighted to see the Victoria Hill residents win their battle against ratrunners by closing access to their neighbourhood streets.
And as for all those truck drivers who barrel through residential neighbourhoods trying to get their goods delivered on time: Keep away from our suburban streets. We know our fair burg is stuck in the middle of transportation crossroads, but that doesn't give you the right to put our children and pets at risk of injury and death.
Yes, it may sound as if we're about to go hang out our window and start yelling, "We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore." In fact, we may.
For now we will confine our rant to the editorial page - but mark our words, if we see a truck driver smoking in a disabled parking spot, we may not be able to control ourselves.
