Re: [Harp-L] re: Smoke-filled rooms

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 5, 2008, at 9:11 AM, martin oldsberg wrote:

> Drew wrote:
> >  I recently heard that Europe has embraced non-smoking, but I  
> > haven't been there >recently, so I don't know for sure.
>
> Well, "Europe" is not some sort of national entity, as I find  
> myself having to explain to many Americans, but a host of nations

This is true

> -- w/ pronounced differences

Especially the farther east you go

> -- but some of them are in a union, and within this union the  
> smoking ban is extensive.

Seems to depend on the enforcement in the individual towns

> So many, ASMoF I belive all, of the countries in Western Europe  
> have smoke free restaurants, bars etc.
>   This is probably great if you don´t smoke, but if you, like me,  
> found one of life´s highlights in having a drink and a smoke in a  
> bar it´s rather depressing.

On a recent trip to Europe I ran into a dilema. Arrived at Miami  
airport at 4 even though my flight to Heath Rowe wasn't until 7. Like  
a 'choocho', I went inside after having what was to be my last ciggie  
for what seemed like days. There was NO place to smoke at Heath Rowe,  
and NO way to get outside any of the terminals (security, you know).  
THEN my flight to Buda-Pesht was late and by the time I got to  
Ferihegy airport, it was the next day.

Now even though neither Miami nor London had a smoking lounge  
ANYWHERE...INCLUDING the bars, I was surprised to find that as soon  
as we were climbing down the ramp at Ferihegy, a bunch of people 'lit  
up'. Buda appears to be a smoking town. So was Prague, Bratislava,  
and Cologne Germany (who don't seem to enforce the smoking ban). But  
the rest of Germany, Vienna, Amsterdam, and other towns DO.

MY feelings: I have NEVER taken ciggies into a rest. even when it was  
allowed. I don't believe in it. I have never smoked in an enclosed  
space. I have always gone outside (even to the point of getting ill),  
in an effort to give people a break. After all, it's not their fault  
that I got 'Hooked' in the navy. But 2001 in Denver, we (smokers) had  
a table set up OUTSIDE. I was sitting there with the Adler Trio (all  
of whom smoked...at the time) when some 'a$$divit' made a big deal  
about us smoking. I was tempted to shove his laptop up his.....watch  
pocket.

smo-joe
> Cheers,
> Martin
>
>
>
>
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