What's worse for you? Smoking a cigar or talking a walk?


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A bit of a rant.. :D

Yesterday was a nice day in Toronto. It was around 15Celsius, no clouds in the sky with a slight brisk breeze. :cigar: I decided I'd walk home for some exercise. I work in downtown core and live midtown. For you locals, I was going to walk from University/Dundas to Yonge/Eglinton (about 6km roughly).

About two blocks into my journey I could feel my lungs aching and struggling to breathe fresh air. :cigar: There is so much traffic along this path at rushhour that literally, five minutes into my journey was equal to smoking a carton of cigarettes in the same time span.

As I make the walk I think to myself. How the hell do our lawmakers and politicians justify tearing down individual rights by banning smoking everywhere and turn a blind eye to the filth that comes out of the cars back end? I know exhaust emissions have improved through technology but even so, I felt like I was on a death march yesterday. :angry: I couldn't smoke enough cigars in a 100 years to equal the output of one car in a month. The night I smoked three cigars in a row had no ill effect on me but yesterday's walk did.

Cars are not going away soon and Toronto's transit is decent, though long neglected. But something tells me the auto industry has been given a "free ride" when it comes to the health and safety aspects of their vehicles emissions. Whereas businesses had to cut off a major revenue stream for them (smokers). Tobacconists couldn't even allow a spot for their patrons to sit indoors and enjoy a nice cigar. In the name of public health something that an individual enjoys is treated worse than what an entire industry does. Better, cleaner automobiles are finally being developed but IMO they're too little too late. And to top it off, my taxes get used to subsidize that industry.

Rant off........ :pod:

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I couldn't agree more Frank. When the weather is nice I like to go for a run and for the same reasons you listed, I never run along a road due to poor air quality. Sadly it takes an experience like yours for people to realize just how harmful our daily commutes are becoming.

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I agree all heartedly.

I run 2 marathons a year as well as 3-4 half Marathons.

I also exercise daily running 60k a week.

Cigars have never affected my running performance, running in the city kills me every time.

But the car industry has very deep pockets for trips to the Bahamas and lobbyists etc.

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