“If” being the operative word. I hope I have explained my position a little more clearly, and my impending reputation as horrible monster that delights in burning down hotels for orphans has, ahem, gone up in smoke.
In the hotels I’ve stayed in (the ones I can clearly remember, that is) “smoking” or “non smoking” is a preference and is NOT guaranteed. Much like I may prefer a king room with a view and that may be what is reserved to me, but things happen. Sometimes I have to settle for a full with a view of the parking lot. Certainly the hotel tries to accommodate you, but there is no guarantee (and therefore no contract). If a hotel signed some contract guaranteeing you a smoking room and you received something else- I would sue (Exaggeration of course, but I would at least raise some serious hell). Pretty sure you can’t break contracts in a business.
It ought to be repeated:
And your examples aren’t germane. I already conceded that it is indeed a special situation when the owner/manager/whatever told you to smoke anyway. You’re beating a dead horse with this point.
And taking all things into account and making a decision based on factors is pragmatism. Certainly, a rational person is pragmatic, but courtesy is a huge factor in being logical, rational, and hell-even pragmatic.
Say what? The motel where I worked still has 40% smoking rooms, even though that’s way more than the percentage of the population who still smokes. It was a trial trying to get the extra ones rented. And that’s definitely typical in this area.
Plus, I do know some smokers who hate smoking rooms, for a few reasons. One is that the bedspreads, blankets, upholstery, etc. often have cigarette burns, and it’s unattractive. The rooms are often dingier, and the smoke smell builds up so heavily in there that it can even be too much for smokers to want to deal with.
Besides, a truly courteous smoker stuck in a smoking room would either go outside to smoke, or open a window and smoke out of it.
I’m not sure of the law on this, but I would expect a reasonable hotel to make an exception or look the other way. If they don’t, they might expect to lose my business.
Also keep in mind that the last time I truly broke the rules, the world was a somewhat different place. Some people were rabid-antis back then, but not as draconian. They cared, but they didn’t, if you know what I mean.
Why aren’t they germane? They are what they are. They are my experience. But we seem to agree, in an odd sort of way. I’ll drop it if you will.
I don’t want to turn this into a hijack, but where do you get this from? Being courteous may be rational or pragmatic in some cases. But one does not have to be courteous to be rational.
We must be staying in vastly different types of places. Smoking rooms are a dying breed where I stay.
OK, now that’s irrational! Unless these smokers go outside, in which case it makes more sense. Is that what you mean? If I choose to take a smoking room (in theory, as they ain’t no such critter), I’m happy to deal with whatever burns and smokiness I have to deal with. It’s part of the package.
Do you mean a non-smoking room?
I was at an outdoor concert this summer when a fellow came in late, sat in front of me and my hub, and lit up a cigar. My husband wanted us to move to another place, but I leaned forward and gently said, “I’m so sorry but your cigar smoke is really bothering me, do you mind?” The guy immediately put the cigar out, and I continued, “I’m really sorry…” He smiled and said, “Don’t apologize… I’m glad you said something.” I was so impressed.
I do want to make something clear. There are, apparently, regional differences. If the smokers around me were like the ones around lisacurl, or calmkiwi or Q. N. Jones, I would be extremely thankful.
But not all places and societies are so enlightened. Maybe this is why we have such conflicts here - those of us who live in inconsiderate-smoking places still have something to complain about, while those considerate smokers who only see other considerate smokers think we’re being ridiculous.
Also, Q. N. Jones’s post made me laugh. Voluntarily smoke-free bars and restaurants! I wish. In Montreal, a city of about 3 million people, I think there are maybe 10 such establishments, none at all near me.
Well, I’m allergic to a lot of the stuff used in cheap perfumes and lotions, so maybe that should be banned too! And cheap perfume REEKS!
Or I could just mind my own business. The only time I’d ever ask someone to tone down the perfume would be if I had to work/be in close quarters with them. And I’d ask politely.
I smoke occasionally, but I have an excellent sense of smell. The habitual smokers I know don’t tend to stink, unless they smoke inside. Then everything they own stinks. So no, not all smokers smell terrible. But the ones that do? AWFUL.
Nope. When working a front desk, I confronted smokers who deliberately rented non-smoking rooms, then smoked in them, about three times. These were their reasons:
“Non-smoking rooms are nicer! Why should I pay the same for a gross smoking room?”
“I want to be by the pool, and all those rooms are non-smoking!”
“The smell is too bad in a smoking room! I’m a smoker, but Gawd! (Or, my non-smoking family member hates it!)”
These folks represent a minority of smokers, I think, but they exist.
As would most smokers, I imagine.
Oops. Yes.
Seriously? In my area, more and more places are phasing out their smoking sections. I would think Montreal would be more progressive about voluntary smoke-outs than Iowa would be. I find that stunning.
I don’t know any places that are “strictly bars” or “mostly bars” that are non-smoking, but there are a lot of restaurants here with nice bars in them that are non-smoking.
I proposed a ban?
Yep, and it’s rude to wear it. I really don’t understand why someone whose odor is offensive should be tiptoed around lest they be offended.
I don;t go around yelling at smokers myself, out of politeness, but I certainly can’t blame someone else for doing so.
Once in my life I heard that question and replied “no, I’d rather you didn’t”. It was from a guy who was sitting opposite me in a table in a restaurant. But my idiotic cousin told him “haha, very funny, OF COURSE you can smoke”. “No, actually, no you can’t. I really don’t want you to.”
He went on and smoked. Funny hmm?
Fucking hilarious! So funny that I want to renounce my considerate ways and go light up in a hospital nursery after kicking some nuns just so that I can see the look on people’s faces. I want to renounce all efforts to be considerate at all. After all, I belong to an evil class of people and so I might as well go with it. It sure sounds easier than trying to take into consideration the feelings of wilting little pussies who seem to get all bent out of shape about any adversity life throws their way.
As long as you do it in Portugal, apparently they’re used to it. 
Q. N. Jones, one of the ways in which Montreal is more ‘European’ than most of North America is that smoking is still really big up here. StatsCan states that a full 25% (okay okay, 24.9%) of age 12-and-up Quebecers are smokers.
I live in the Southen United States and work for a privately owned company. They can apparently make their own rules.
In Iowa, it’s 20%. Iowa 2004 Smoking Study Doesn’t sound like a big difference, but maybe it is significant in the way businesses perceive their clientele. 
TDN! Move to the South U.S. I don’t know of a single non-smoking restaurant or bar. The motel I stayed in was 50% smoking rooms and since it seemed someone had been smoking in the non-smoking room I was in, that makes it 51% smoking rooms.
I HAVE been asked if it was ok to smoke near me and then that person got huffy when I told them I preferred they didn’t.
I have also been told by smokers who were in a group of people I was dining with that I was not welcome where they were smoking since I ask them to not blow smoke in my face and as you say it is their legal right to smoke it is apparently also their right to wave cigarettes in my face and to pay no attention to where theur exhalations have gone. I have gotten up and left since that si the only right I have in this situation.
Lastly, “So when calm kiwi is on her break time at work, huddled under a tree on a footpath far away from the door indulging her legal habit, it’s okay for coworkers to cast withering glances and make disparaging remarks?” Um yeah, if I can be forced to huddle in all the bad weather far away from the door etc etc because I don’t want to spend my breaks inhaling smoke.
From this link: CDC report on regional smoking differences .
Maybe you can at least vacation there. 
I don’t understand this reaction. Someone posited that smokers have gotten more polite. Others have not experienced this politeness, and told their stories to rebut. This makes you want to be a total fucking dick? Why? Because you’re so oppressed? No one is saying you shouldn’t smoke. Smoke all you want. Why can’t you understand that people who don’t smoke don’t want to deal with your smoking? It really smells bad. The stench lingers-- you have to launder your clothes and wash your hair to get rid of it. You have to get coats dry cleaned to get the smell out-- you gonna pick up the tab for that? I don’t think it makes you a wilting little pussy if you don’t want to smell like someone else’s bad habit.
That’s why people don’t want smokers near them. It’s not about an urge to make you feel bad or castigate you. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU AT ALL. It’s an attempt to protect themselves. How about this, since you made the analogy? The next time a smoker gets smoke on me for more than a minute, can I spray him with some really reeky perfume? While he’s eating, especially? If so, then that’s fair. Otherwise, they should go somewhere they aren’t ruining someone else’s day.