California city tries humor to keep butts out of parks

GLENDALE, Calif. » It’s not the kind of sign you usually see at a park: "”Our deer don’t smoke in your backyard. Please don’t smoke in theirs."

But the Los Angeles foothill suburb of Glendale hopes such jokes will do a serious job and keep smokers from trashing local parks and trails.

The Los Angeles Times says 18 humorous signs were put up in April throughout the Verdugo and San Rafael mountains, at the Glendale Sports Complex and Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

Other samples: "Do not throw cigarette butts on the ground. Our squirrels are getting cancer" and "Smokers will be fed to the bears."

Smoking is banned on city trails and parks but the city doesn’t have enough workers to patrol every trail.