More smoking rants

Thank you for posting all these smoking places. I will refrain from ever doing business there! keep them coming, please.

I'm sure that very soon most of these places will not allow smoking anymore. However, I think so many people have taken their non-smoking stance to the extreme, saying they will never visit places that allow it. I understand not wanting to inhale the smoke, but not dining somewhere that allows it in a seperate area is going overboard, in my opinion. I'm a non-smoker and have never smoked, so I don't like it in my face while I'm eating, but I don't see the problem if someone else wants to go into the bar and light one up. To each his own.

[Robin Garr]

I'm a non-smoker and have never smoked, so I don't like it in my face while I'm eating, but I don't see the problem if someone else wants to go into the bar and light one up. To each his own.

Well said, Amy. I didn't like it when places had bogus "smoking areas" where you could smell the stench throughout the building. But as long as it stays in the bar, it's hard for me to see any ground for complaints.

Too often you have to walk through a bar or smoking area to go out, wait for a table, or go to the restroom. I absolutely won't go to a place anymore which allows it. Call me extreme, I have terrible lungs. I also have a small beef with a few people in the restaurant industry who are fighting the ban. I've been to many, many non-smoking towns and states (and countries) and it is a great thing to have clean air for ALL people.

<sarcasm> But don't you see? If smoking is banned, bars and restaurants will go out of business. Last time I was in NY, there were almost no bars or restaurants left. </sarcasm>

I accept the logic that it's a workplace safety issue and workers must be protected from smoke. Since I'm European at heart and actually appreciate irony, it amuses me that roughly 35 out of my 40 employees who must be protected from smoke do so themselves at every opportunity.

We have smoking & non-smoking, and hope to expand the perimeter on the latter this year, and perhaps also New Albany's "leadership" will begin the debate this year; I'll not fight it, but I will insist that if there is to be a ban, it should be uniform. Exceptions are what make the debate rancorous.

Too often you have to walk through a bar or smoking area to go out, wait for a table, or go to the restroom. I absolutely won't go to a place anymore which allows it. Call me extreme, I have terrible lungs. I also have a small beef with a few people in the restaurant industry who are fighting the ban. I've been to many, many non-smoking towns and states (and countries) and it is a great thing to have clean air for ALL people.

No, it's great for you and people like you. Obviously not everyone has the same priorities.

I understand and accept that you don't want to be around it and won't go to any place that still allows it. I even respect that. But I can't respect intrusion upon a thread asking for simple information on places where smoking is still allowed simply to proclaim your distaste. It's really not necessary, and somewhat rude.

Too often you have to walk through a bar or smoking area to go out, wait for a table, or go to the restroom. I absolutely won't go to a place anymore which allows it. Call me extreme, I have terrible lungs. I also have a small beef with a few people in the restaurant industry who are fighting the ban. I've been to many, many non-smoking towns and states (and countries) and it is a great thing to have clean air for ALL people.

No, it's great for you and people like you. Obviously not everyone has the same priorities.

I understand and accept that you don't want to be around it and won't go to any place that still allows it. I even respect that. But I can't respect intrusion upon a thread asking for simple information on places where smoking is still allowed simply to proclaim your distaste. It's really not necessary, and somewhat rude.

Well said...

Too often you have to walk through a bar or smoking area to go out, wait for a table, or go to the restroom. I absolutely won't go to a place anymore which allows it. Call me extreme, I have terrible lungs. I also have a small beef with a few people in the restaurant industry who are fighting the ban. I've been to many, many non-smoking towns and states (and countries) and it is a great thing to have clean air for ALL people.

No, it's great for you and people like you. Obviously not everyone has the same priorities.

I understand and accept that you don't want to be around it and won't go to any place that still allows it. I even respect that. But I can't respect intrusion upon a thread asking for simple information on places where smoking is still allowed simply to proclaim your distaste. It's really not necessary, and somewhat rude.

Well said...

Well, have to disagree. This has been a hotly debated topic on this board for a very long time, and if someone wants to weigh in on the opposite view, it seems perfectly fine. The lack of clean air is, indeed, a condition that changes the dining experience.

And, after all, you challenged her right to post it in the same thread you were challenging her right to change the subject. Et tu?

Well, have to disagree. This has been a hotly debated topic on this board for a very long time, and if someone wants to weigh in on the opposite view, it seems perfectly fine. The lack of clean air is, indeed, a condition that changes the dining experience.

And, after all, you challenged her right to post it in the same thread you were challenging her right to change the subject. Et tu?

Umm... weigh in on the opposite view? The OP did not posit a view. She just wanted info. Linda C then turned it into an issue thread by happily proclaiming her refusal to ever go to the places listed because they allowed smoking.

Yeah, it's been hotly debated here before, because it's something that's hotly debated pretty much everywhere it's debated at all. Not unlike politics or religion. Which is one of the reasons I think it's bad form to intrude like that. If someone isn't looking for a debate of a messy issue, don't MAKE it a debate. If the OP starts in throwing ideological missives around then it's obviously fair game. But a request for information? There's really no need to start dropping your view point like a feather-toy in front of a cat. It's a hairs breath from trolling, IMO.

And no one was challenging anyones rights, yo.

I used to smoke. A lot. I quit. I won't join this fight. Good day, all.

same here

I never challenged her. I would like to see a list as well so I can avoid such places. At one time, the health dept had a list of all the restaurants who sought an exemption. The list was lengthy. Since then, some voluntarily changed policy. However, after much searching even on their site, I cannot find any info on which places have smoky bars/smoking sections. None. So, a few times I have been unpleasantly surprised (Kunz's, Bristol, Jeff Ruby's) to be in a place where I started having smoke reactions.That happens to some people. All I asked for was the same list of places.

No one said you DID challenge her.

But asking for the same list of places is not all you did. If all you wanted was the same list of places you didn't even need to say anything really, because the request was already out there. You really wanted to make the point that no place offering smoking would ever get your business, too.

If you really felt the need to point it out that it was helpful in more ways than one, and ask for the information to keep coming there are better ways of doing it. Your statement against an alternative:

"Thank you for posting all these smoking places. I will refrain from ever doing business there! keep them coming, please."

vs

"This information is helpful to those of us who need to avoid smoke too. Any other places to add we should know about?"

Your statment makes it about the issue of smoking versus non-smoking. It's an emotionally charged declaration of your position. The alternative makes it more about you and your needs and isn't as polarizing.

I completely understand wanting to avoid smoking and understand how such a "list" (which isn't what was requested anyway) would provide benefit to both groups of people, but surely you can see the difference between "I'll refrain from ever doing business there!" and "I have health issues and this helps me avoid bad situations too."

I have to say, I agree with Aaron 100%. He has stated what I would like to say, but I generally tend to avoid confrontation at all costs. I think this thread in particular wasn't a place to vocalize anti-smoking sentiments. When there is a thread about "where can I go and not smell smoke," the smokers don't jump in and say they'll never give their business to those places. I think certain posts in this thread are offensive to the OP, who has a right, as long as it is legal in this town, to go to a restaurant that allows smoking and light one up. No offense intended to anyone.