*** Quoting Ron Taylor from a message to Carol Shenkenberger ***
RT> In my part of the country, a totally smoke free restaurant is almost
RT> unheard of.  At the one good seafood place that is smoke free, there i
RT> up to an hour wait for a table most nights. On Friday and Saturday,
RT> you'd better have a reservation.
Interesting!  Everyplace I have lived in the last 10 years, seems to be 
different.  What part of the country are you from? Cant tell from your 
tagline.
RT> As for "designated sections"... I've been to places that had designate
RT> _tables_.  What the hell good is a "smoke free _table_" when the next
RT> table is not?  One of my favorite on-the-road places is Cracker Barrel
RT> Their dining room is usually divided into three sections, two
RT> non-smoking and one where smoking is allowed.  The sections are
RT> separated by lattice slats.  For some reason, the smokers beside the
RT> "wall" tend to blow their smoke TOWARD the wall.  I guess that that is
RT> some kind of unconscious act of kindness to the others at their table.
RT> Problem is, the smoke goes through the wall into the non-smoking
RT> section.
Sadly, I have seen that in some places.  I'm more used to California where 
the law (before the smoke free came in) had most establishments have 
literally separate AC systems and solid walls between the two locations.
CS>California Law makes it all smoke-free.
RT> I applaud them.  Some day, ALL states will follow their example.
I dont mind it too much, but I hope they dont go as far as CA did.  CA even 
outlawed *outdoor* smoking sections, even if on the opposite side of the 
*building* from the non-smoking outdoor section.  Tis a bit overboard...
  >populace  smokes, and that 20% simply didnt dine out as often when they
  >changed the laws  there.  Restraunts, many of them, just couldnt survive 
n
  >almost 20% loss of  business.
RT> With all respect Carol, I have a problem believing that.  Do you have
RT> a cite to back up those statistics and the effects of the new law?
Newspapers, check San Diego Tribune, 1995 (early).  I lived there, saw it 
happen.  You can see the start of it in the OCT 1994 papers.
Seems to not ave been a 'boycott' but just a tendancy to not bother to eat 
out as often.
Personally, I was not bothered by it, until they got to the point where I 
couldnt even step *outside* for a smoke at the sysop breakfasts (we'd chat 
and have fun for 3-4 hours and tip *heavily* for staying so long).
I do not mind sitting in non-smoking.  In fact, I insist on it if a 
non-smoker is in the group.  Our local 'sysop/user' group meeting is held in 
the non-smoking section.  (I duck out for a smoke if I really want one and 
come back).
Laws on smoking in restraunts?  They vary.  I like the old CA version.  
Separeate AC type units, solid walls, and allowed to have a smoking section, 
if you fit the rules.
You have a *right* to not breathe my smoke.  You dont have a right to prevent 
me from smoking when the conditions make it reasonable.
                                       xxcarol
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