Don't Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Yesterday morning, Chicago instituted a no smoking law. It's very convoluted, but basically it says that there can be no smoking in restaurants, office buildings , or public transit stations. You also need to be at least fifteen feet from the entrance of a building to smoke. Bars have two years before they have to comply.

I'm torn about this. I am not a smoker. I fully agree that smoking should be banned in restaurants. I think this stems from my childhood. My dad smoked and didn't care where he did it, the dinner table, a closed up car with the heat blasting, church. He would finish his dinner and then light up. My mom, my brothers and I would then finish our meal in a cloud. It was like eating on the Scottish moors every night. It's a miracle that all our lungs don't bear a striking resemblance to a coal minor's. Smoking and non smoking sections don't work. I've had the good fortune of sitting on the other side of the velvet rope that is supposed to keep the smoke out of my section. I even get no smoking in an office building. I wouldn't want to be sitting in the cubicle next to some hacking chain smoker. Not to mention the fire danger when some secretary's Aqua-Net goes up in flames ala Michael Jackson.

Bars are another story. I'm all for keeping my vices together. People don't go to a bar to drink milk and read the bible. They go to have a few pops, have a smoke, and hook up with a willing floozy. I say let the drinkers smoke. Hell let's start putting gambling and hookers in all the bars too. At least that way no one could complain. You know what your getting when you walk in the door. Later....Brian