Pipe

I've never smokes cigarettes (Or fags as we call 'em), and doubt I ever will. However, I see the creeping health-nazism of bars becoming smoke-free zones throughout the world, and dispair. While bars should be well ventilated, banning tobacco products in such places is an absurd invasion of the basic right to be yourself.

As a result of this infringement of basic human rights, I'm starting my own personal protest by smoking a strong, aromatic tobacco blend via pipe in any establishment that decides to ban smoking.

Once again, I'll stress that I'm not a smoker, but the way it's going, martinis will be next...

Trader Woody

[Edited by hanford to change the title from all caps]

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-03-16 23:28 ]

I know it's your opinion but it sucks. Look at it from another's point of view. I am a cocktail waitress. When you could smoke in bars I would come home feeling sick, smelling bad even after a shower at 3 AM, and knowing I was hurting my body. I attended a junior college until I got pregnant. Being a single Mom with no college degree there wasn't another profession I could make the money to support my son and work nights. I believe my son and his home life are the most important things so I don't and never have used daycare. When I work my son goes to a sitter and only misses me for half an hour before it's his bedtime. I work four nights a week, have a home, and have never been on public assistance. My son, now 8, is a well rounded, witty, very polite, individual at the top of his class and I know I couldn't have done such a great job if he spent all day at a daycare while I worked. It is nice not to be forced to breathe someone's smoke just because I'm trying to do my best to support us. I was so happy when the ban passed here! I was at the polls and will always be.

Smoke away, if you want, but maybe think of the single Mom waitress or bartender who may not have all the choices you do.

Laney, I couldn't agree with you more.

As a sufferer from a lifelong allergy to cigarette smoke, I could not, until the ban was passed, EVER go to a restaurant without a nonsmoking section. I would get queasy and wheezy; my eyes would itch, I would begin to sneeze, and my meal would be ruined.

And bars? don't make me laugh. No tiki crawls for me, back in the "good old days"!!!

Worst of all, I had to watch my mother's two dearest friends die of smoking-related illness (and they were the only two friends she had)--Janie died from lung disease acquired through years of breathing her hubby's "secondhand smoke", and Turk died of lung cancer from a lifetime of playing music in smoky clubs. I never in all my life saw him light up; again, secondhand smoke did the job just fine all by itself.

Nobody has a right to injure me or make me sick in a public venue just 'cause they want to.

To do so isn't exercising your freedom; it's being an inconsiderate jerk. Lung cancer and emphysema are not minor inconveniences. They KILL. Period.

(crawling down off soapbox now)

--Lisa

Trader Woody,

I too believe in personnal freedom, but when my ban used to play in bars during the smoking era in California, I would essentially smoke a pack of cig's as I sang and played guitar, and I don't smoke.

Smokers can go outside to smoke and come back in to kill braincells.

[ Edited by: purple jade 2006-03-20 21:29 ]

As a pipe and cigar smoker I have to chime in and say that I agree with everyone except Trader Woody. Smokers have their cars and homes and the whole of the great outdoors to smoke smoke smoke that cigarette. I think one's "basic right to be yourself" ends at the tip of your nose and fingers. Like a lot of people in West Seattle I enjoying spinning a long length of heavy chain in a big circle over my head...It's what we do. But if my chain makes contact with the back of someone else's head I think my basic right to be a chain spinner has gone down the crapper. Washington state recently ignored a bill proposed by some elected rep to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. I'd love to have seen it go through and now feel compelled to see if we can get the ball rolling again. In the case of smoking in public places I'd like to see such "creeping health-nazisim" become a full on assault.

I don't get how smoking a pipe of some "strong, aromatic tobacco blend" in an establishment that bans smoking would jive with a belief in personal freedom. The proprietor of such an establishment has the personal freedom to ban smoking in his/her joint. And anyway, most people seem to enjoy the scent of pipe tobacco. Still, Dunhill's "Morning Pipe" has a sort of general smokiness to it that some might not find so inviting. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Ok, folks, you're right. That was just a little ill-thought out rant after a couple of hours spent drinking fine ales in a local pub. It was the beers talking and my lungs will remain pink & juicy. I guess sometimes it's interesting just to chuck ideas in the air and wait for the reaction.

I too hate coming home from a night out to find my clothes need a wash just to get the stench of cigarette smoke out after wearing them for just a couple of hours. I'm not totally convinced a ban would work in the UK, though, just because our basic attitude towards what we call a 'nanny state' means that people will just ignore it. However, vastly improved ventilation and no-smoking zones near the bar might be workable over here. Then again, smoking has vanished from public transport to the benefit of all. It comes as a shock when we visit somewhere like France to find that people are smoking on trains.

Trader Woody

[ Edited by: Trader Woody on 2003-03-17 03:52 ]

Now if only people would get this vehement about the carbon monoxide emitting from all the nasty fumes from their oversized SUV's!!!!

What about their fume emitting old cars? SUV's are much more fuel efficient and don't emit nearly as many fumes as that 1970's Oldsmobile emitting black smoke from it's tail pipe that I always seem to get behind! Don't you hate that! I agree with the smoking thing though. I mean do you really want to eat and drink around all that? Nothing's worse than having a nice meal/cocktail and breathing someone else's stream of smoke!

I think we should all abandon technology of all kinds - starting with these computers naturally - and move to the bush, yesterday if possible. Damn fossil fuels!

:)
em

Hey! I just got back from a weekend in 'the future'. Oddly enough, it looks alot like yesterday...

Bong, we appreciate your report from the future, but you totally forgot to mention that everyone will be living longer and healthier lives, education will be making it harder for zealots of all stripes to justify killing each other, the air and water just keep getting cleaner and cleaner, and thanks to the efforts of scientists and technologists, the whole world is a happier place to live.

Meanwhile, journalists and demagogues will still be trying to rivet our attention by telling us the whole planet is a doom-sucking vortex of burning s**t...Gawd love 'em!

:)
aloha,
em

What I really am looking forward to in the future is genetically bred giant hamsters running in giant wheels providing all our electricity. Oh, and moving walkways. Isn't the future supposed to be full of moving walkways? And miniskirts?

[ Edited by: purple jade 2006-03-20 21:30 ]

Question?

How many auto fatalities are caused by smoking ?

Smoking what?

Which reminds me of a joke. A man asks a hooker if she smokes after sex. She says "I dunno, I never checked" (snare drum roll).

My friend just got off the plane at San Diego International. Apparently the attendant said "Welcome to San Diego International Airport... where you won't be able to smoke for the rest of your life."

Or something like that.

Wait...

Nevermind.