Ban on Ban
The New York City Council at work.
Here’s a list of the items that they banned or attempted to ban in 2006.
* Trans-fats.
* Aluminum baseball bats.
* The purchase of tobacco by 18- to 20-year-olds.
* Foie gras.
* Pedicabs in parks.
* New fast-food restaurants (but only in poor neighborhoods).
* Lobbyists from the floor of council chambers.
* Lobbying city agencies after working at the same agency.
* Vehicles in Central and Prospect parks.
* Cell phones in upscale restaurants.
* The sale of pork products made in a processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C., because of a unionization dispute.
* Mail-order pharmaceutical plans.
* Candy-flavored cigarettes.
* Gas-station operators adjusting prices more than once daily.
* Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
* Wal-Mart.
Some of these are just silly. (Candy-flavored cigarettes?)
Others are egregious: Outlawing Wal-Mart is tantamount to picking the pockets of New Yorkers who really can’t afford it.
Updated
Speaking of Banning things Proofreader E. posted a link to this video on Penn and Teller getting people to sign a petition to ban water.
