The right to breathe

I do not know why WHO and Health officials keep bothering to educate us on simple methods of disease prevention, because as we all know, the people who need the advice the most will be the ones who ignore it most thoroughly. Take, for example, the simple act of opening windows in public transport vehicles or public spaces to prevent the spread of airborne diseases such as TB. Every day I wage a war against those who would rather die inhaling the acrid stench of sweat and disease than do something as uncomplicated as opening a window.

And what about vehicle owners who make sure their vehicle windows can never be opened? I wonder, is the vehicle cheaper if three-quarters of the windows are not working? Are some of these owners ritualists hoping to reap carfuls of dead bodies to use for their macabre activities?
Are they planning to asphyxiate us then rob us and leave us for dead in some forest? I read malice, ill-will and criminal intent into this. I wish a Bill could be passed allowing members of the public to smash non-opening windows in the interests of public safety. However, some of us (I include myself here) would be inclined to ‘smash first and test later’ so perhaps we can shelve that idea for now.

Last week I found myself in one such vehicle, where the window in front of me would not open. As it was a rainy day, all the other windows were shut. I called out from the back “Conductor, open our window!” as scenes of my life flashed before my eyes. He had to jog out in traffic and wrestle with the window for a good number of minutes before it gave way and opened. It soon began raining heavily and now there was the added complication that the window wouldn’t shut, sigh!

I think vehicle owners whose vehicles have non-opening windows should be jailed. Passengers who fail to open windows next to them should be thrown out. As for people who decrease the air quality by virtue of wearing coats/jackets that smell more like untreated cowhides than anything else... we shall deal with them in another forum.
Fight for your right to breathe.