# How Bad Was It When You Could Smoke On Public Transit?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-it-when-you-could-smoke-on-public-transit/586607>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 23, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-it-when-you-could-smoke-on-public-transit/586607 "2011-06-23T20:14:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-it-when-you-could-smoke-on-public-transit/586607/61 "2011-06-28T19:00:55Z")

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> [@Marlitharn](#):
>
> I don’t think I’ve ever been on public transit (other than the school bus, where the only smoking was carried on clandestinely in the very back seat), but I can remember our local grocery store having ashtray stands at the end of every aisle. This would have been in the late 70s. Both my parents smoked like chimneys (so did I, starting from age 10), so I never noticed the smell because the smell was always there.

Groceries were about the only place I can remember where people didn’t smoke. I don’t know why; there wasn’t a law against it. Its possible our local grocer didn’t allow it but I don’t recall signs to the effect. Our school bus - the driver smoked either with one hand out the window or using the always full ashtray on the dash but us kids weren’t allowed to until high school. At that point we (students) had an officially sanctioned smoking lounge of our own and some teachers would smoke at their desks during class.

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**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-it-when-you-could-smoke-on-public-transit/586607/62 "2011-06-29T06:23:20Z")

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> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> :rolleyes: There are _so many_ things wrong with this, I’m not even going to bother.

I’m a sensitive guy, and I don’t get it. What’s wrong about asking people in close quarters to share their empathy with their brethren? It’s not as though smoking (or whatever other unhealthy habit) killed anybody.

ETA I do agree I’m tired of coming in from a job and having all my work tools stink of smoke – but that’s the price one pays to live and work in America (e.g.), no? At least it ain’t France.

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