Out my window I can see.....

H came into the store the other day
"I just let the girls go the 7-11 on their own!"
he declared
with a giant grin.
"Wow! How exciting." I replied.
"I needed some milk"
He said putting two bottles on the counter
"and I was secretly following them.."
H looked out the window of the store and down to the corner where the 7-11 is.
"They're in, they made it!" He announced.
"Oh Thats great, You head back and I'll keep an eye out for them on their return home"
" O.k cool, you'll see these two pink things go by hand in hand."

And I waited and waited at the window until I saw two little girls huddled over in fits
of giggles and excitement heading home from a trip all on their own to the 7-11.

My heart sings.

Today out the window I watched the chain smoking owner of the cafe next door
throw yet another butt onto the road, I watched it join the pile of butts in the gutter
all put there by him.
Out the back window I watched his staff on their ciggy break add to mix
with their own pile.
A nice pile of butts, all mounting up ready too be washed into the Bay,
the very bay that draws people down to this part of the woods
to sit in cafes, just like theirs to enjoy the ambiance.
To enjoy the lovely
community.

We have had enough arguments
enough fall outs
enough..
so now we just follow the rules.
I called the council
knowing full well that nothing can be done
to stop anyone from smoking outside of your store.
(We've all made a few calls, even customers have called.)
I tried a new approach:

" Hello can I be put through to street furniture
please?"

"Oh, hello, do you think you could come and put some street ashtrays
out the front and back of our store,
as the people who own and work in the cafe next door
smoke and throw their butts into the gutters?"

" Oh City of port phillip don't do that,
yes there is a bin with an ashtray in it
right next to the bus stop but no, they don't always use that."

" Yes I am trying to, as you say, 'EDUMACATE' them, yes
I know that smokers dont care until they are dying of cancer,
yes that is one way of putting it!"

"Well what about then if we put some of those terra cotta
pot plant holders with a bit of sand in them, about on the foot path,
Oh, we'd need a street permit for that, Oh I see.
How much are street permits again?"

"Yes I understand, it could be dangerous, thank you for listening to my suggestions."

My heart sighs.

Now I put it out to you lovely readers
What action would you take?