We've seen smokers ignore the 30 foot perimeter. We've seen smokers throw their butts on the ground.
Most people just walked through the cloud of smoke, coughed a little and moved on with their lives.
Ball State University officials, however, decided to implement laughable regulations for smokers that go into effect March 17.
It is being called a smoking ban. However, nothing is really banned. Instead of a ban a new restriction can be implemented and ignored.
The best part about the new rules, however, is who is enforcing them.
Department chairs and other supervisors within the university are being charged with the responsibility of baby-sitting all smokers on campus.
Personally, we don't want our department chairs to have to waste their time writing citations for fines when they should be working to further the progress of their department.
But hey maybe there are some positives. For instance, at Freshman Orientation football coach Brady Hoke can walk around campus giving out tickets to incoming freshmen who smoke. What a better way to kick off your college career: meet the head football coach and have him give you a $50 ticket.
Or even recruit running backs as the smokers sprint away to avoid the ticket.
We're sure Hoke and all supervisors are thrilled for their new responsibilties.
There is, however, an obvious flaw. Who polices the police?
Any non-undergradute who supervises any other Ball State employee now has the authority to issue citations.
We think a game should be made of it. Let's have the stereotypical less prestigious employees, such as custodians unite their efforts to stick it to the man and catch Ball State President Jo Ann Gora in the act.
We're not sure if she smokes, but they could write a ticket to her.
That's another issue, there is no definitive way to determine if a student is who she says she is.
What can the department chair or custodian do if you don't have any ID on your person at the time the citation is written.
A staff reporter at the Daily News could easily make up a pseudonym and fake ID number and escape the fine for the simple fact that nobody knows who she is.
We look forward to watching events unfold when the new restrictions are implemented. We think the first week should be rather funny.
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