There Go's the Neighborhood

[Polishrifleman]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22559988?gt1=10755

I can't believe this stuff.  What do they think happens at bars?  We already lost the smoking here in Washington.  I'm not a smoker but believe in the freedom of choice, you can choose to smoke and I can choose to go somewhere else or just hang out.  I can choose to swear at that dumb football coach on TV!  Whatever, just another idiotic way for the offended few to put the clamps on the majority of sane people.

[wooderson]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

[The Viking]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

The only good thing about smoking bans is that you come home not smelling like an ashtray. I smoked LESS when smoking in bars was allowed over here. Buy a pack, go out, have a few beers, have the occasional cigarette, the pack would last me more than a month sometimes. After that, I smoked ten deathstix per day :/. Now I've quit. 8 days, doing fine, though I'm hungry all the time now.

[Perd Hapley]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

There are scads of them.  Tune in to your local talk radio shows.  When you suggest that the customers who don't like smoke could go elsewhere, they just ask, "What about the employees?"   

[Paddy]

The proposal would ban indecent, profane or obscene language, songs, entertainment and literature at bars.

Here in California, you can do any @#$% thing you want in a bar.  Except smoke or drop your pants. 

[Paddy]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

Then let me be the first, wooderson.  In fact the whole smoking ban thing started here in San Luis Obispo, CA.

p.s. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a former 3 pack a day smoker.

[Perd Hapley]

Actually, Barry Goldwater started the smoking ban craze way back when.   

[charby]

I think fistful is on the city council in St Charles..  Only he would ban profanity and obsentity. 

[Polishrifleman]

I worked at a bar in college and smoke came with the territory.  I still enjoy a cigar now and then but have to do that outside too!  The ban here in Washington put several cigar clubs under because of the "what about the workers" stance.  

Hey did you knowingly take a job at a cigar club?  Why Yes.  Did you know that people were going to be smoking while you worked?  Why Yes.  Did you know second hand smoke kills?  Why Yes.  So you willingly and knowingly endangered yourself?  Why Yes.  Can you explain your rational?  Why Yes, the tips are (I mean were) great.

[Iain]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

There are scads of them.  Tune in to your local talk radio shows.  When you suggest that the customers who don't like smoke could go elsewhere, they just ask, "What about the employees?"   

I can't say that I'm a big fan of them, but I do like a drink occasionally and I do have fairly serious lung issues. I'd have preferred a free market solution, but up until the ban I'd have had to go about twenty miles to get a smoke-free drink and I live in a fairly dense urban area.

One big national chain were going to go non-smoking, they already had some no smoking pubs, but with the legislation that looked likely to come into effect I think it was a bit of free publicity prior to being pushed anyway.

Local publicans have been heard to complain, but pubs are now nicer places to be, and I'm sure a lot of smokers share that sentiment. The ban has been in place since July, with little comment at the time, I expected public complaints to rise when the weather got colder, but I've not heard many complaints.

[Paddy]

Actually, Barry Goldwater started the smoking ban craze way back when.   

It's possible.  Republicans DID start the pants dropping craze.

[Polishrifleman]

Ahhhhhh, but who inhaled first?

[Bogie]

I live in St. Charles County, other end from St. Charles City...
 
()*&)(*^*(&%()()*&!!!!!!

[Polishrifleman]

So the Neighborhood was already in a shambles???

[Sergeant Bob]

I too would have preferred a free market solution however, it seems it didn't materialize. I used to smoke 2 packs a day and quit cold turkey on March 10, 2005. I never realized how (willingly) ignorant smokers were till I quit and most people would rather die than stop smoking so it is not likely they would respect my right to clean air in a restaurant. Now that there are a lot of no smoking laws being passed some establishments are becoming no smoking (by choice) since people are a bit more used to the idea now. If it took laws to get them to become non smoking, well, I'm glad the laws were passed.

You can say second hand smoke does no harm to others if you want (I disagree) so I should just shut up and put up with it and the smell. Fine, I can live with that but I'm pretty sure if I were seated at the table next to you and started cutting some really foul smelling cheese repeatedly (I have ulcerative colitis so I'm rather good at it), you'd probably get pretty upset.

But, don't worry, second hand wind is not dangerous, it just smells rather bad.

[wooderson]

Supporters have to exist - just in a milieu far different from mine.

If one were instituted locally I'd take full advantage, mind you. My sinuses flood within minutes of entering a bar or club, very unpleasant.

[Perd Hapley]

it is not likely they would respect my right to clean air in a restaurant.

Bob, do you honestly believe that you have such a right? 

You can say second hand smoke does no harm to others if you want (I disagree) so I should just shut up and put up with it and the smell.

Second-hand smoke does no harm, if you simply avoid places where people smoke.  That is what you have a right to do.  I don't think you should put up with it.  But if you are going to demand control of others' property, then you should most certainly shut up and go somewhere where folks aren't smokin. 

I don't smoke, but I respect the rights of business owners to please their customers, within reason. 

[Manedwolf]

I was actually quoted in one of the last Union-Leader articles before the Dems passed the smoking ban here. I said that though I didn't smoke, that it was all about freedom of choice. That if I didn't like the smoking in a privately run establishment, I'd go elsewhere. And that owners of those establishments knew they were courting some customers and alienating others...it was their choice.

[Sergeant Bob]

it is not likely they would respect my right to clean air in a restaurant.

Bob, do you honestly believe that you have such a right? 

You can say second hand smoke does no harm to others if you want (I disagree) so I should just shut up and put up with it and the smell.

I don't smoke, but I respect the rights of business owners to please their customers, within reason. 

Sure I believe I have a right to clean air in a restaurant but, being a realist.....

You can say second hand smoke does no harm to others if you want (I disagree) so I should just shut up and put up with it and the smell. Fine, I can live with that but I'm pretty sure if I were seated at the table next to you and started cutting some really foul smelling cheese repeatedly (I have ulcerative colitis so I'm rather good at it), you'd probably get pretty upset.

Second-hand smoke does no harm, if you simply avoid places where people smoke.  That is what you have a right to do.  I don't think you should put up with it.  But if you are going to demand control of others' property, then you should most certainly shut up and go somewhere where folks aren't smokin.

And thats what I do. Avoid establishments where smoking is allowed whenever possible although, sometimes its hard to avoid, if you want to have a life. However, I don't have to shut up about anything as I have as much right to talk as someone else has to smoke. They in turn, have every right to complain about me passing gas at the table next to them which, after all, does them no harm, its just really obnoxious.

I'm a fair man.

[Perd Hapley]

Sure I believe I have a right to clean air in a restaurant but, being a realist.....

Is there some award for irony for which you are competing?   


You have a first amendment right to blather about your non-existent right to dictate to other people that their property will be non-smoking.  Doesn't mean you should make a fool of yourself by exercising that right. 

Avoid establishments where smoking is allowed whenever possible although, sometimes its hard to avoid, if you want to have a life.

Cake-walk.  Try dating a girl for two years, who won't go to any place that serves alcohol (which rules out almost all of the "nice" restaurants and a lot of the good ones, and a lot of music venues), and won't go to movies.  Then marry the girl. 

But I made my choice, so I deal with it. 

[mustanger98]

I think fistful is on the city council in St Charles..  Only he would ban profanity and obsentity. 

So which is fistful's fault? The profanity/obscenity or the ban?

[J.J.]

The proposal would ban indecent, profane or obscene language, songs, entertainment and literature at bars.

So you can't say what you want, you can't listen to what you want, and you can't READ what you want...

So you will go to a bar to pay $3 for a bottle of beer to sit around hearing the crickets....

---

I like the Header of the article:

But if I go outside, I might offend the smokers

that was very funny

[MrRezister]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

Check Huckabee.  He pushed the current ban on smoking in restaraunts 'round here.  I don't care for the intrusion into a private business, but I guess since we need someone to check the quality of the food we are getting, we may as well have someone check the quality of the air in there as well.  Now if the .gov would just make sure they all quit serving fatty foods and start using less electricity and ban dangerously sharp forks and not engage in any offensive feng shui, I guess EVERYONE would be happy and healthy! 

[roo_ster]

The weird thing about smoking bans and such is that I've never talked to anyone who wholeheartedly supports them - left-wing, right-wing or other.

You have never met my sister 7 BIL.  They are not health nazis, though, just mere health authoritarians.

[roo_ster]

Supporters have to exist - just in a milieu far different from mine.

If one were instituted locally I'd take full advantage, mind you. My sinuses flood within minutes of entering a bar or club, very unpleasant.

Ahh, a fellow man with an "Achilles Sinus" like myself.