The Sights, Sounds and Smells of London

I was out walking Riley yesterday and once again was surprised by how openly people smoke weed in this city. I often find myself walking through a cloud of smoke coming from the person in front of me, the guy leaning up against the wall, the open car window. Not to say I clutch my pearls in horror when I do smell such goings-on, but it still takes me by surprise that it happens in broad daylight out on the city streets. We live across the street from a restaurant kitchen back door and quite a few times a week I smell and see evidence of the employees' illegal activities. Dare I say the whole drugs in restaurants thing is true? If the little joint remnants on the sidewalk that Riley stops to sniff are any indication then yes! I grew up in Berkeley and even there it wasn't as common to encounter open marijuana use out on the city street. Sure some parts of the city were practically hot boxes, but most drug use was behind closed doors or at concerts at the Greek Theater. But in London? No, we're on a break so let's light up! Yes, right here on the street at 1pm while we walk to Boots and Pret a Manger. Good times. Internet research tells me that "anyone caught in possession of cannabis could be arrested" or they could just be given a warning or fined £80. Perhaps the risk is worth it here??

Funny story relating to this. When we went to Lisbon about two years ago we were walking around the old town looking for a place to eat dinner and a man standing around asked if I wanted to buy some weed. I politely declined and he then turned to Dave and asked if he wanted to buy cocaine. I wasn't sure how to feel. Should I have been offended that the guy thought I was too fragile to do anything harder than marijuana or should I have been relieved that he thought only Dave was the hardcore drug user in our relationship needing something strong to get his fix? It was the first time while traveling that we were openly offered drugs, and honestly one of the few times period it happened so randomly and without any provocation. One minute we were looking for food, the next we could have been conducting business had we been so inclined. Not to say I am often approached to buy drugs while out and about but you know it can conceivably happen, say while wandering through People's Park in Berkeley. But in Lisbon on a Friday night, with tourists everywhere? There may have been a bit of pearl clutching going on.