Smelly Readers Banned From Calif. Library

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- A new county law aims to keep readers from reeking. Libraries in San Luis Obispo County have had their own rules banning offensive body odor since 1994, but the policy became law after the Board of Supervisors last month adopted an ordinance that lets authorities kick out malodorous guests.

Visitors to 14 libraries and a bookmobile also could be asked to leave for fighting, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing games, and printing or viewing illegal materials on library computers.

"The point is to make the library a comfortable, safe place for everyone to use," said Moe McGee, assistant director of the San Luis Obispo City-County Library.

A strict code of conduct, officials argue, is needed to ensure one patron's right to use a public library doesn't infringe on the rights of another.

Yet the law can raise tough questions for librarians, said Irene Macias, Santa Barbara's library services manager.

"What is bad odor?" Macias asked. "A woman who wears a strong perfume? A person who had a garlicky meal?"

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does this mean that someone with a liver disorder in need of medical info or has had the misfortune of having his home taken from him and really needs to know what to do can be denied the right to use a public libary? lets face it the general public can stink. those that have the money to buy their book dont use the libary. those that dont and are in need of information use the public libary. then of course there's that small bunch of elitists that have nothing better to do than to try and raise human standards above the reach of all humans but themselves.

how do you feel?

How do I feel? Simple - His right to stink ends where my nose begins. As long as he's out of my smelling range, as far as I'm concerned he's a non-issue. The problem is that when he's far enough away from me, he's close to someone else, and the rights issue begins anew. I'm quite sure the librarians' olifactory nerves are as offended as mine with the mere thought of someone who cannot or will not bathe regularly.

If it's a health issue, that's one thing, but there's little or no excuse for improper hygeine, even for one who's homeless. Been there, done that - lived out of my car for about 8 weeks back in my post HS pre-Navy days. I NEVER had an odor which offended anyone and I was always clean-shaven and bathed. (Truckstops are a wonderful thing - they always need their trash and parking lots tended and will gladly exchange a free shower for the service, to mention only one of many available options). Oh, and for the record, I never used or sought to use a library during said time. I was too busy trying to find employment, food, and shelter.

Liver disease? You know, quite frankly I've never heard of anyone with a liver disease barring cancer that wasn't self-induced, usually by extended addiction to alcohol. I have little or no sympathy to someone in said condition for this reason... they made the choice to become and stay drunk for too long, got themselves sick, and now are paying the price for their own stupidity. I'll toss a drunk out quicker than I'll toss out a bum - By the way, I've never encountered a single person ill from liver disease, or actively homeless in a public library. Around here if they're ill enough to produce an odor, usually they're in a hospital. Also around here if they're homeless, they're busy panhandling or doing something to earn that next buck for their liquor, drugs or food, or seeking a roof. I think it must be a very large city thing which has incited such a controversy.

I'll add at this point that around these parts at least, folks tend to help those who're 'down and out' and without homes. It's VERY hard to stay homeless in this part of the country, and it's damn near impossible to starve from it. I honestly don't know, but we very well might have the best dressed bums in all these 50 states, not to mention the best fed ones, but I digress, we're talking about the library and stench.

All that long-windedness (you skipped over it, didn't you? I sure hope so) was to say if they're offensive to anyone within the library, by all means they should be relocated to a different section. If enough complaints occur about 'stinky', he should be ejected with all expediency.

There is something you should know about California. In all their hype of tolerance and charity, they detest the homeless. Absolutely detest them. This law like others (just walk around sometime) is meant to get them out of libraries where they often go. They are full of them.

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"The point is to make the library a comfortable, safe place for everyone to use,"

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Apparently he has a different definition of "everyone" than the rest of the world uses.

I wonder how often the people complaining actually use the library?

Probably some people who drove up in their 100,000.00 cars to get a DVD of Fereheit 911.
;)

|3lack|ce

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Liver disease? You know, quite frankly I've never heard of anyone with a liver disease barring cancer that wasn't self-induced

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what about hepatitis-c from a blood transfusion...quite common these days.

quite frankly you strike me as the kind of person that will buy a book if you want to read it. i know i do, so i dont mean that with any disrespect....when was the last time you've been in a public libary, for me it's been about twenty years.

Now i know that the San Diago area is Mecca for the homeless, lots of tourists to hit on and a year round tempeture of about 78 degrees but what about northern California? (from SF upward.)

{please keep in mind that i posted this just to stir conversation. I live in the NY Metro area. i bring clothes and can goods to the shelters (the soup kitchen in paterson) but i've never given money directly to a homeless person and never will.}

ah, hep-c... oops. ya got me on that one - but on the other hand and more to the topic, the (admittedly very few) folks I know who have hep-c didn't smell...

I think they should ban people who've ever used steroids from libraries in California... not that I'd accuse Arnold of ever reading a book, but hey...

Oh heck...turn them all into museums and charge admission to see what people used to do in their spare time... :D

On a serious note though...libraries in major cities have been one of the places transients and the homeless have gone to get away from the streets to keep warm, get a little shut-eye, a little safety since the churches have bolted their doors shut except for mass.
This has always been the churches problem in their " good samaritan " ideology which was tossed on the general public by the church wanting to protect it's wealth in spite of it's values.

When I was a kid you never saw the homeless in libraries...they were sleeping in the church pews...and the churches were open 24/7...
that started to change around the middle seventies when they started locking up at night after the last sermon...
now they're even closed in the daytime.

Libraries have become the new refuge.

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Originally posted here by Negative
I think they should ban people who've ever used steroids from libraries in California... not that I'd accuse Arnold of ever reading a book, but hey...

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what about ephedra?...they smell like dirty socks!

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Originally posted here by |3lack|ce
ah, hep-c... oops. ya got me on that one - but on the other hand and more to the topic, the (admittedly very few) folks I know who have hep-c didn't smell...

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i've known three (but then again i don't know anybody with aids.) which isn't allot, but when they get near the end their breath and their body stink. the body's poisons try to come out threw the skin and lungs because the liver can no longer process it. First they smell like hot-dogs, then they smell like ****.

most who have it don't know it untill they have pain in their stomach and go to a doctor...too late. junkies know it right away, but usually die from aids first so they're pretty much out of the picture.

BTW: when someone is diagnoisd with Hep-c they ususlly lose their job no matter how they got it...(homeless)

The reason churches bolt their doors these days is because people come in and destroy them. The last church I remember staying open around here was a catholic church down town. Then one night someone defecated on the virgin marry and then another night they completely destroyed her. The door is now locked at night. Too bad but what are the options? Show me a city library without a couple of shelters near bye? Maybe we should intall showers? :D I use my library constantly, they outloaw large backpacks and bedrolls. But they just toss em in the bushes, of which I don't care because they are reading stuff and learning.

Hi RoadClosed,

I realize that the reason why churches began to lock their doors is primarily to prevent vandalism...the seventies was a major turning phase for alot of things ( eg. remember what halloween was like before the razor blade and pin stories of the seventies? ), and don't even get me started on disco and seventies style...

but...we are talking about church ideology and religious responsiblity to live up to their creed...by christian theology there is no reason at all whatsoever to turn away the homeless from the shelter of the church...

if they don't like the responsibility then it's simple...if they're not willing to accept the responsibility of the code as laid down by Yeshua called Rabbi ( Jesus in Hebrew...and refered to as Rabbi, teacher ) then they should choose an easier religion that they can live up to and have more flexibility with...and stop calling itself a christian church.

As much as mormons and jw's annoy me and practically everyone else but themselves I give them credit for at least having the balls to practice what they preach...which is something mainstream churches haven't done for quite some time...if ever.


As Ignatius said: better for a man to keep his peace and just be, than to call himself a christian and be found not to be.

Early christians interpreted the bible very clearly in this respect that those calling themselves christians were responsible for not only their own behaviour but also the behaviour of those who copy said behaviour. Therefore it was imperative for your own salvation and those around you that you did not behave in such a way as would put christianity in a bad light...bringing shame upon the church and defaming the name of jesus. A christian was each the church and therefore was held responsible to uphold it's every morality even at the cost of death.

Despite what they preach today...the real doctrine of the christians is not an easy one...in fact it is one of the hardest and most demanding of religious doctrines...what they teach today has little to do with the thought of the early christians who followed their messiah's teachings as they were laid down to them. The path was very narrow and very hard.

I don't place any responsibility on the church. It's up to them weather they wish to deal with the creatures of the night, or go home to bed. I don't think "the man" meant they were forced to stay open 24 hours. Besides the shelters are almost always christian organizations. The church is open, so to speak. Hmm in fact I can't think of any around here that aren't Christian based. I think they do a smack up job. In fact "the man" doesn't even stand for a temple, a place. Oops there I go interpreting. :D

People tend to lose the original message after 2000 years. Even among the other world religions and philosphies, there are open interpretations based on mans increasing knowledge and influence of others.

For some reason "Stinky, stinky britches, you got them stinky britchaas!" Keeps circulating in my mind.

However for the topic at hand, the quoted librarian was right. What is considered bad smelling? Although out of context "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet " - but in this case instead of referring to "A suggestion that a thing is what it is, not what it is called", source (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/305250.html), the question here is what a librarian thinks reeks, may not to another person. Of course - there are some smells which could be on a general list of "Smelly smells you make/have that make me want to retch and throw you out." :rolleyes:

I can see it all now, a smell-o-meter that tests you when you come in with armed guards ready to toss you if the meter goes off. Or you are given a range of smells that can contribute to your overall stink/stank factor. The mind reels at the possibilities. :D

I would seriously like to see such a device - but it should nail folks wearing too much stink-um (perfume, cologne, etc) too; they being as much an offense to the nose as those with severe body odor.