Worked the bar last night and had a customer come in who owns his own company (construction) and has his logo on the doors of his truck. After the Ontario (anti) smoking laws changed in September 2004 no one is allowed to smoke in bars, restaurants etc. as (perhaps) it should be.

(Wait a sec, I'm lighting a cigarette so I can think this thing through.)

He just finished paying a $5000 fine split four ways for the four guys (including himself) that were caught smoking in his truck at a job site(outside, winter, cold).They were caught by the health department, not the cops,who enforce this, in his truck owned by his corporation with his logo on the door of his personal truck.

New York folks, I know they are slamming you too. In Ontario in a few months, you will be prosecuted for smoking in a car if anyone else in the car is under nineteen.

If everyone in this vehicle is within the "age of consent" I think this is ridiculous. As a smoker I am considerate of others and now pay $9.20 for a pack of cigarettes here (supposedly to enhance the healthcare system to care for those dying of lung cancer).

I do not smoke in the presence of those who do not (without their sincere permission). Where does this end? Of course I know it's wrong. But is this not ridiculous? I attended the huge antique car swap in Hershey Pennsylvania last year, was smoking there (outside, a giant yard sale) with my friend and after half a day we noticed no one else was smoking. I asked a vendor if smoking was permitted and she said "Yes, this is Pennsylvania, but if it was New York you'd be in jail..."

I can't remember who said this and I am too lazy to look it up but remember this and it will explain alot of things: "Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." Guess which one you (as a smoker) are...

Oh and before somebody jumps on me and says that is un-American thinking or something along those lines, read some history and you will see that the US was founded as a Republic and many if not most of our founding fathers viewed a Democracy as a fatally flawed system doomed to self destruct.

There are too many lawyers. Remember when you could stop at a hotel or motel for the night when traveling, and the place actually had a diving board for their pool? Remember when products didn't have to have three pages of legal disclaimers? Remember when you could walk into a place of business and not see a sign saying "this door must remain unlocked during business hours"? Remember when you could discipline a child for misbehaviour? Will things change before overweight people start getting turned away at restaurants? Probably not. My favorite smoking tale. My wife went into a store, and I stayed out front for a cig. A woman with a kid, about a 5 year old boy walked past. The child got in front of me and in an annoying voice loudly said "you're going to die", followed by a big grin. Mom stood by approvingly. I replied, "so are you, kid". Mom grabbed the little munchkin (who looked horrified) and hurried away, giving me THE LOOK. It had occurred to me that she might summon security, and in my mind I formulated a plan to claim that the kid threatened me. Never happened. In my line of business, we had a category of customers that we referred to as "I'm stupid, and it's your fault." This seems to be a growing trend.

Smokers are about the only minority that can't get their own way by whining loudly enough. Too bad smoking does not have a religious, ethnic, gender or some sort of diversity basis. Listen to me talk, white, middle aged, middle income, veteran, Christian. The largest non-diverse group in the U.S.
A democratic government is the hardest thing to overthrow, because you have to get a lot of people to agree, and that ain't gonna happen.

Bobber, I agree with you...too many lawyers, too much interference in our lives...one of the reasons for moving to BZ.
You gotta love the sign at the slide at Hammock House..."not responsible for stupid people".
Shouldn't that be enough?

They tried to do the same thing here in Houston just yesterday. It did not pass in city council... so now they're trying to come up with a different version.

They recently passed a similar law in my county in Georgia. No smoking in ANY place of business. Since I am self employed and have a business license for my home, guess what? They sent me signs that must be posted at my house, No Smoking, County Law #####. So now I can't even legally smoke in my home!

CrackerLarry, who's going to turn you in? I would have a talk with the family. If it did happen, and you got prosecuted and convicted, it would definitely be proof that we have way too many lawyers. Last weekend, my wife and I took my younger sister (who is handicapped, but that is not important to the story other than this is about her only passion)to a local casino to play the slots. A lady sat down at a machine next to her, glared at her, hacked and waved the smoke away (my sister also smokes). My sister smiled at her and said "I am sorry if this offends you, but that's as far as it goes. If you don't like it, go back to the non-smoking section." Worked fine, the lady left.

I own a bar in NW Wisco & am member of the State League which is the strongest in the nation & second strongest lobbying organisation in the state. Were fighting THEM off at every turn.But they continue the attack (similar to MADD)& continue gain a foothold step by step. We'll probably be the last state to go down but sorry to say we will go down. 65 % of my customers smoke & the rest deal with it. Very seldom does one complain & if they really can't deal with it they don't come back. It's the hazard of doing business. Cigerettes SUCK , as I smoke my 2 packs a day, but as some of the previous posts stated , this is still America!

Several of my employees smoke. When they come into work and into my office it makes me remember how I used to smell.

I don't care who smokes or where. This was something I made mental note of when I smelled them.
I sure as heck didn't mention it to them

My sister won't come to my house because I asked her to step out to smoke. It's truly a sensitive subject to the smoker and the non-smoker.

I recollect a while ago when there were non smoking sections being erected on Ambergris Caye. BIG discussions then.

Non-smokers don't think twice about smokers, they just complain when they smell it.
(although I must admit I love the smell of the cigarette, just not the aftersmell on someone)