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Smoker's rights

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Drip, Jul 29, 2009.

  1. When you walk into a restaurant with a smoking section, you are asked a pretty simply question, "Smoking or non-smoking" If you choose the latter, you have forfeited your right to complain. Or, at the very least, forfeited your right to get angry if you polihtly ask them to stop, and have them politely decline. What you are saying here is, "I (non-smoker) don't want you (smoker) sitting next to me in the restaurant, so I am going to make you sit in a specific spot. And if I chose to sit in YOUR spot of the restaurant, it's on you to stop doing what you should be able to do here."
     
  2. PeteyPirate

    PeteyPirate Guest

    I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said, which was that if I am doing something that bothers someone else, even if it is my right to do so, I have no problem with them asking me to stop doing that thing.

    For example, it is my right to plant plastic flamingos and Confederate flags in my yard. My neighbor might ask me to take them down if he is trying to sell his house. Because his is a legitimate concern, i.e. the possible decline in property value, I would consider it a reasonable request and would give it great consideration. I'd say coughing and the proven carcinogenic effects of second-hand smoke fall into a similar category.
     
  3. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Agreed. This is why I am so fond of legislation banning smoking entirely from restaurants and bars. Having smoking and non-smoking sections just doesn't work.

    I still wouldn't ask somebody who is smoking in a smoking section to stop. Just like I wouldn't want a smoker in a non-smoking section asking me if it was ok for him to light up.
     
  4. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    Let me preface this by saying I have no sympathy for smokers. You blow that shit in my face and you'll have an enemy for weeks.

    If the smoker is in a designated smoking section and the non-smoker is in the non-smoking section and says something to the smoker, the non-smoker deserves whatever shit she gets.

    If, however, the smoker lights up at a mixed table, the smoker deserves to be called out.

    I still remember going to a work site when I was in high school. EVERYONE in the van except me smoked. And, yes, EVERYONE in said van lit up. It wasn't until we got back that people realized, "shit! Forever_town doesn't smoke."

    Years later, I was at a restaurant with some friends and one of them blew smoke in front of me. I was clearly uncomfortable but I wasn't trying to say anything about it. She looked at me and goes, "you'll live." I wanted to smack her.
     
  5. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    F_T, I think the appropriate response there would be to spit in her food and when she reacted, tell her, "You'll live."
     
  6. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    FT, I'm a smoker and I don't like someone smoking in my face. But judging from what my associate said of her incident, I think she had a right to feel pissed. She was in her section of the restaurant enjoying her meal or what have you with a smoke. The non smoker didn't have any right to tell them to extinguish their smoke, especially since they were sitting in the smoking section.
     
  7. When you move into a house, you don't have the choice of a flamingo section or a non-flamingo section. And in your example, the best course of action is to work it out with the neighbor. But when you chose to sit in a smoking section, you have to know going in that there is a pretty decent chance that there will be smokers around you. Certainly a higher chance than living next to a guy who won't take care of his property, therefore lowering your homes value.
     
  8. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    "No, I will not put it out, I'm in the smoking section. Good day."

    Moving on...
     
  9. PeteyPirate

    PeteyPirate Guest

    And as a smoker, you have to know going in that when you smoke, you are blowing carcinogenic compounds into the air which may cause other people to cough. Again, it's your right. I'm just saying it's something I would consider if I were a smoker.
     
  10. I guess where I untimately fall on this is, given the situation, there is nothing wrong with a non-smoker sitting in a smoking section of a restaurant. There is also, to a degree, nothing wrong with said non-smoker asking smoker to put it out, kindly. If the smoker politely declines, and non-smoker has a problem and voices displeasure with it, then it's their problem. If you don't want to smell smoke, then either choose non-smoking, or go to another restaurant. You know the variables involved. And this is coming from a guy who hates cigarette smoke, so I have no idea how I got on this end of the argument.
     
  11. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    I agree with you Rick.
     
  12. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    In that case, I think your associate has every right to be pissed off.

    Yes, I'm an adamant anti-smoker. Having said that, I was against the smoking bans. When I go to a bar where I know there's going to be smoking, I mentally prepare myself for the smoke and I don't let it get to me. Not saying I like the smoke and not saying I don't love coming home and not smelling of smoke, but in that case, I'm willingly putting myself in a situation where I know there's going to be smoke.

    If, however, you come into a situation where there's no expectation that smoking is going to be around and you smoke, big problem.
     
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