Acadia: Day 2

"The Smoking Incident at Thunder Hole"

Exhibit A: Thunder Hole - a highly showcased rocky hole in Acadia National Park that naturally produces huge thundering bursts of water that erupt tens of feet into the air
Exhibit B: a cigarette butt
Exhibit C: a magnified view of Exhibit B

For those of you who haven't been there, Thunder Hole in this picture just looks like a regular piece of Maine coast, but it's not. It really can be quite eventful. Also, not pictured above is the fancy walkway, guard rails, stonework, etc. to guide people down here. Sure, it's not the Grand Canyon, but again, it's not just some rock off the side of the road.

We were standing right behind this lady who was smoking. I know many fine smokers and that don't bother me or other people a bit; however, this incident was obnoxious because:
1) If you're going to smoke please be courteous and do not smoke in the most crowded scenic area around
2) you're not allowed to smoke in National Parks anyway (unless you are in your car or designated area)
After finishing her cigarette the lady promptly proceeded to toss it over the rail directly at/into the Thunder Hole - see the exhibits A through C above. Three people around us started giving the lady a hard time about this - rightly so - to which she responded:

"First of all don't, tell me what to do."
There was no "Secondly" or "Second of all" because, well, there was really nothing else to say. She just left after throwning down some 'tude and Bea heard her mutter something like "Lets go hun, we don't need to let these people degrade us" or something.

Hey, it's true, everybody has rights and feelings, nobody wants to be put down or embarrassed, especially in public in front of their kid, but come on lady - you were surrounded by outdoorsy people here to enjoy a federally preserved natural wonder and you just used one of its focal points as an ashtray! It made me think of other possible absurdities like putting a cigarette out in Old Faithful, sticking used chewing used gum on the Lincoln Memorial, or taking a leak on the Petrified Tree in Yellowstone.