[Mishmash] Can it really be?????

[Hugh Gigante]

Susan, you're hitting the core of my point . . . both with your comment 
about leaving designated smoking areas and your earlier one about "my 
space".

I agree smoking is not a positive thing. I also agree that when there are 
designated smoking areas they should be used and non-smoking areas 
respected.


But here's where I differ. The use or non-use of designated smoking areas is 
a decision of whomever owns the space in the first place. Areas inside 
private restaurants, for example, are, as you noted in an earlier post, "my 
space". But the "my" is the person who owns the space (unless he or she has 
forced you to patronize that restaurant).

Public spaces are different. Smokers are part of the public, and therefor 
part of the ownership of those spaces. They have as many rights in those 
spaces as do non-smokers, so the recent trend toward no smoking areas at all 
violates those rights.

A friend of mine owns a whole bunch of restaurants (over 60) in New York 
City. Almost all are small speciality restaurants (Spanish, Thai, Afgan, 
etc.). Replace the word "smoking" with the word, say, "chicken" in the 
phrase and you might see my point. What is the difference between forcing 
him to choose from one of two legal forms (smoking vs. non-smoking) and 
forcing him to serve or not serve specific foods? Would you not think it odd 
to force him to, say, serve lasagna in his Indian and Afgan restaurants . . 
. or not serve pasta in his Italian ones?

Hugh
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Flewelling" <kmm at nucleus.com>
To: "Mishmash" <mishmash at mishmash.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Mishmash] Can it really be?????


> At 03:11 PM 1/6/08, you wrote:
> But leave it legal, and nobody should have the right to impose values on 
> others.
>
> But what about those smokers imposing their values on the non-smokers 
> because that's what's happening when they leave designated smoking areas 
> and start puffing away.
>
> Susan
>
>
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