Just when you thought government couldn’t get more overreaching and ridiculous you hear a story like this. The local environmental agency came to a man’s home to complain that the smell from his BBQ grill was leaving his property and bothering his neighbors.
Patriot Newswire reported the ridiculous conversation between homeowner Scotty Jordan and Pinellas County Environmental Specialist Joe Graham.
“I’m only here because of the odor,” Graham says. “I’m only here because of the smoke.”
During the conversation, Graham asserts that the men are in violation of a local “rule” that bans the smell of BBQ from crossing over one’s property line.
“I can smell it again right now, but I’m on your property,” Graham tells the group. “You’re allowed to have it smell on your property, so that doesn’t count, but when I’m on the street, that’s when it counts.”
Astonished by the claim, the cameraman asks Graham how the group, or anyone for that matter, would be able to control where odor travels.
“So we’re supposed to control the smoke and the wind and where it’s blowing it?” he asks. [An astute observation]
Graham goes on to suggest that the group move their BBQ on a regular basis in conjunction with wind patterns or purchase a specialized version designed to minimize smoke. [Call the weather bureau!]
It makes you wonder what’s next, how far will the government regulating our lives and privacy? Watch the video of the encounter below, which is so bizarre you keep expecting someone to say it’s a prank or an Onion story.