It was not that long ago when my wife and I were going out with some friends to a restaurant. We had lost touch with these friends who we had gone to church with for quite some time; moving, marriages, changes in life had drifted us apart. It was nice getting together and I was looking forward to the evening.
Getting seated at our table one of our friends said isn't it nice now that all the restaurants our smoke free ( the state had recently passed a no-smoking ordinance in all restaurants.) This bugged the crap out of me and I commented that I didn't like it one bit. I brought up my libertarian leanings and the rights of a business owner to run his business any way he liked. My comment fell flat and I knew these guys weren't going to see things along these lines so I tried to put it behind me and enjoy the evening.
I pretty much did enjoy the meaning but the smoking thing got me to thinking about a train ride home from NYC back when I was in college. I had just visited my dad who took me to see a well known specialist in the field of depression which I was struggling with my junior year in college. Actually he was a psychiatrist but I think specialist is better cause I don't want you to think I'm a lunatic blogger who has no credibility. Riding the train home I noticed that the train seemed much more lively and even neighborly than ever before, and I've taken the trip from Penn Station to Providence quite a few times. I was sitting next to two Jamaican women and they were quite talkative and they tried to draw me into the conversation which was unusual to me. I chalked it up to them not being American, certainly not New Yorkers, and enjoyed the conversation.
About 20 minutes into the trip I noticed these ladies lighting up cigarettes, and looking around I noticed many others on the train also were lighting up. Never really noticing anyone smoking on previous train rides it dawned on me that I was in the "smoking car." And during this ride I got to hear some spiritual songs about Jesus, many people singing along and lots of laughing. The smoking car seemed like a fun place and there was real community in it unlike all the other sterile rides I have had on the train before.
Needless to say I got a soft spot for the smoking culture. I miss the fact that the lunch room at work no longer allows smoking. I remember with fondness trying to break through the cloud of smoke while eating a ham and cheese sandwich. Today smokers are second class citizens having often to go outside in subfreezing temperatures to sneek a puff. But to me, hanging with some marlboro folks in a cozy, laughing, singing smoking car of a train warms my heart. And if they were to be some background music at some restaurant where I was dining it wouldn't bother me at all.
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I could not agree more as far as the law. I would not say that I "miss"smoking in the break room. In fact, I really do enjoy the benefits of these anti-smoking laws. But that does not mean I agree with them. Business owners should have the right to decide what people may or may not do on their property. Noone has to go to a restaurant. If people are bothered that much by smoking it will effect their business and the market will dictate if they have to make changes.
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