Clean air, or just more annoyance?

[Ferret]

Okay, okay. It's time one of us posts something besides a war-based topic. There are other things for us to be annoyed with these days...

This week in New York it became ilegal to smoke in bars and nightclubs - another ban on restaurants is already going into effect in the summer.

Now, we just got that ban here in Florida this year and California has had it for a few years.

Many smokers have said that it won't affect going out to bars, restaurants, and night clubs. Well, I can tell you as a smoker, that it does affect me. I order in now more than going out. I would prefer Wendy's over Denny's and I would rather order Pizza Hut than go to Chili's.

Why were there designated smoking areas before? Wasn't that good enough before? Or better yet, allow restaurants the option to be smoking or non-smoking (give the non-smoking places a tax break or something). I just want to enjoy myself when I go out. Is that too much to ask?

-Ferrets

"...unless smokers bring a baby to the smoking section - that's just wrong..."

 

[Mazzak]

I'm glad more places are outright banning smoking. It's nasty. We non-smokers want to enjoy ourselves too, and that ain't possible with noxious smoke clouding the place (or drifting over from an ineffective smoking section).

 

[Ferret]

I guess that could be a problem for non-smokers if the smoking section (taking up its tiny 30% of the restaurant is too close to the non-smokers. Perhaps, they should have passed legislation to allow some restaurants to be strictly smoking (ie you can smoke ANYWHERE) and allow others to be non...

...of course, the owners will be happy because now they don't have to worry about the smokers just "hanging around" smoking so they can cram more people in to eat and get out...

-Ferret

"HI! Welcome to Bennigan's! Would you like whining or non-whining?"

 

[Azreal the Soulmaster]

Most restaurants will have a smoking section that is seperated by glass from the non-smoking section, usually in the bar section, which is why I don't understand the baning smoking in bars.

also if you go to a bar and a nightclub, and are simply appauled by people smoking...you've obviously never been to one before.

I'm a big fan of the seperate sections in restaurants. If I'm eating I'd rather not be inhaling smoke at the same time, However I also think that the smokers should be able to enjoy themselves as well.

Bars shouldn't be non-smoking, whats next bars that ban drinking? they'll just serve milk and that god awful flavored water.


"whats the rule now? you can only smoke in your apartment? with all the lights off? under a blanket?" - Denis Leary

 

[train]

I'll say that restaurants in Lubbock - my previous - much larger 'hometown"... had it set-up where they had to have sections for smokers that were completely sealed off and even had their own ventilation system... or that's what I recall...

Problem was that it cost so much money to split ventilation systems designed for the entire building. To help with this the city did give them breaks... and most people were happy...

To do this everywhere is almost segregation in my opinion... and it actually hinders both sides - smokers looking for a place that allows them, or has a section for them... and non-smokers attempting to stay away from restaurants with "insufficient" smoking areas...

If only we hadn't shared in that peace pipe so long ago...

 

[nodnarb24]

The main issue is not costumers, even though that is a big part, but the employees. It is a safe working environment issue. It is not healthy for the waiters/waitresses/etc to be taking in second hand smoke for 40 hours a week. That is why legislation is passing, and I'm glad that it is. It would probably have never passed if it was just a few customers whining.

A few restaurants in my area here in New York have been going smoke-free when this issue started to be discussed and business has boomed significantly, even though my area has an extremely high smoker population. Seriously, if you need a smoke so bad that you can't go without it for a couple hours while you go out, you seriously need help.

 

[Ferret]

Okay, so I need serious help - mostly, serious help finding a good price on a pack of smokes...

....on an almost related note, a recent Democratic candidate for governor wanted to start a tax on cigarettes for education. This is a great idea, but wouldn't you want kids to smoke so they can learn more?

-Ferret

"...if Jimmy has 3 cartons of Camels. Each carton has ten packs. Each pack has 20 cigarettes. Jimmy gives two packs to his math teacher. How many cigarettes does Jimmy have left?"

 

[train]

2...

The teacher then told Jimmy he was incorrect...

jimmy didn't like this, pulled out his glock and....

 

[Svenmonkey]

I've never seen a place where smoking and nonsmoking sections were actually separated. For me having smokers in a restaurant (or some such place) is like having amazingly flatulent people releasing several liters of poo-gas every couple of minutes. The smells are different, but both make me gag. It's no fun breathing smoke if you aren't one of those dopes that does it for relaxation or whatever.

 

[Zhaneel]

I agree... most smoking/non-smoking separations are inneficient. Maybe if they made some restaurants just for smokers. Dunno if that's plausible, but it makes sense. The no smoking in bars/nightclubs is a little odd... isn't that part of the atmosphere? (no pun intended). I don't care one way or the other when it comes to that.

 

[Spiderman]

Echoing the two above posts...

In my experience, the smoking section isn't closed off to the non-smoking section except maybe at Bob Evans where they had a closed room. But I agree that if a place wants to be all-smoking, they ought to be allowed to go for it (and the employees understand also) and some airtight contract is made some people down the road can't sue them (patrons and employees both).

That just gets me, people who started smoking in the 50/60's who are suing now 'cause they have problems. DUH!

Sorry for the tangent

 

[EricBess]

I agree with the last few posts. In addition, weren't you wanting to quit anyway, Ferret? I know, you commented earlier that you had failed and were back to a pack a day, but I would think that if you were serious about wanting to quit, this should be a good thing.

As a non-smoker with allergies, my experience has been that smokers are often very inconsiderate. Note that I am generlizing here, but the attitude seems to be that if smoking is allowed, I should go elsewhere or stop complaining.

I was in the hotel lobby during PT Houston. We were playing some magic after the event was over and a couple of smokers sat down. There is no non-smoking section of the lobby.

Now, apart from jitters induced by the smoking in the first place, we can all sit in that lobby very comfortably with nobody smoking. However, once they light up, it is impossible for us to be comfortable anymore.

 

[Ferret]

Well, I did try to quit - had a nasty cold that made smoking impossible...unfortunately, random stresses came up in life that made quitting impossible...

-Ferret

"....maybe next week..."

 

[Apollo]

I can't stand cigarette smoke, and it's true that many restaurants sections are ineffective. In a purely selfish way, I'm in favor of this law. Heck, the bathrooms at school are bad enough

 

[Ferret]

I guess this law leaves no on the fence. If you're a smoker you hate it. If you're a non-smoker you love it.

I like to think that I'm being discriminated against because I have a self-destructive, disgusting habit, but that's just silly. I would like to enjoy myself anywhere I want, but I don't want to interfere w/ the health of others...I want a hermetically sealed room for just us smokers. That would make life easy for everyone...

-Ferret

"...with a groovy airlock!"

 

[Svenmonkey]

Psychedelic revolving airlock.

 

[EricBess]

Originally posted by Ferret
...I want a hermetically sealed room for just us smokers. That would make life easy for everyone...

I could deal with that. With a decontamination spray on the way out because the smoke gets into your clothes way more than you realize.

 

[Mazzak]

you only get airlocks if we get cooler ones.

 

[Ferret]

Geeze, this is sounding almost as bad as when various minorities are asking for preferential treatment over other groups...

-Ferret

"...now which one of us is 'The Man'?"

 

[Zhaneel]

Originally posted by Apollo
Heck, the bathrooms at school are bad enough

Agreed! I hate it when come out of the bathroom and have to explain to my teacher why my hair smells like smoke...