Originally Posted by
Dovster
That post would be glamorizing smoking and while it might fit on Omni, it certainly would not meet the requirements of a Smoking Forum. Of course, I have never heard of such a thing happening in real life -- certainly, and unfortunately, not to me. For all of that, if someone does make such a post on the Smoking Forum I promise to RBP it as being off topic for the forum.
On the other hand, what did happen to me in real life would fit perfectly on the forum. Last year, I stayed at the ATL Hilton and called them in October to ask to have the same corner room reserved for my award stay in January. I was told that the hotel no longer allows smoking.
I then made an award reservation on line for a smoking room at the ATL Embassy Suites. It was confirmed but a few days before my arrival I called the ES to ask if I could get early check in and was told that renovations had been completed sooner than expected and it is now smoke-free.
After careful search, the only ATL hotel I could find which both allowed smoking and had a courtesy bus from the airport was a Microtel which was in very bad shape and, of course, I could not use my HHonors points there. I had to pay cash.
The post would be on topic for a Smokers Forum as it:
1. Lets smokers know that neither the Hilton nor the ES allow smoking any longer.
2. They can stay at the Microtel.
3. It is always a good idea to confirm before arrival that your hotel hasn't changed its policy.
Does my real life experience seem glamorous to you in any way?
The point isn't whether your individual struggles as a smoker are subjectively (or even objectively) glamorous. The fact is that traveling itself is what is glamorous (yes, even when you suffer the indignity of being in a cramped seat next to a sweaty person for 6 hours, or find a hair in your bathtub, or have to walk half a mile to find a smoking lounge), and the people who have the means to do so are part of an influential class. Any exposure that normalizes smoking is detrimental to teens, and if we can avoid or at least reduce that exposure with a warning label and over-18 login, why on earth not?
I know you are going to point out that there is no way to prevent a minor from lying about their age and that is true, but there's a big difference between a nightclub that invites underage kids to drink and one that checks IDs but lets a fake slip by here and there.