Voting Ended / Motion Passed: Creation of a Smoking Section
#166
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
moved
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 2, 2015 at 4:39 pm
#167
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: USA, JPN, GBR
Programs: A3, AA, AC, AS, DL, NH, SQ, SK, UA; BW, CP, HH, IHG, MB
Posts: 1,950
I am really astonished at the (fortunately, small) number of posts concerned that creating a forum where smokers could discuss the issues -- mostly problems -- of traveling as a smoker somehow, perversely, "encourages" or even "glamorizes" smoking. Where do people get that idea?
First, Flyertalk has many, many different forums (fora?) for different purposes. I haven't even visited all of them, let alone posted in them. So one more forum won't make a difference to me, or to the users who will probably never visit it in the first place.
Second, I asked myself if Flyertalk was around pre-1999 (or in its current state back then), would FTers have benefited from a Nonsmoker forum? Absolutely. It would have helped disseminate information about places to avoid. The proposed smoking forum accomplishes that, just in reverse. If you're absolutely against smoking and being around smokers, the forum will actually help you! You'll know which hotels, restaurants, streets, markets, entertainment venues, etc. to stay clear of. Hell, I could've used it to figure out where my seat was in relation to the smoking section when it was still permitted onboard. Being within a few rows meant that the nonsmoking seat I had was worthless.
Third, for those who say "just go to xyz forum because that's where abc is," there's already tons of overlap. Mods move threads to/from different forums all the time! Don't forget that some newbies cross-post (FT rule violation, of course), because the topic is relevant in multiple forums. For example, an FTer is flying out of LAX on JL, getting to the airport from a Sheraton with a Hertz rental car. Do they go to the California forum? JAL? Oneworld? Starwood? Hertz? Perhaps all, or perhaps none. There's probably a dedicated TBIT thread somewhere too. My point - a dedicated forum for smokers gives people a place to start looking. If their questions are property/airline/location specific, the conversation can be moved or the poster can be guided.
Finally, teen smoking. Umm... are there any kids who don't know it's bad for your health? Even if they were ignorant, I hardly think a forum on a travel site would be the thing to push them to the "dark side" of smoking. They're much more likely to take their cues from movies, TV shows, video sites, and their family/friends.
^
#168
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,082
Oppose
#169
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7
Support. ^
Non-smoker here, but I think people who do smoke would benefit from being able to share information on a forum such as this.
Non-smoker here, but I think people who do smoke would benefit from being able to share information on a forum such as this.
#170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Winter Garden, FL
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#172
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928
If such information were also available and discussed from this perspective, the proposed new forum could be very valuable to even more FT members. Otherwise I fear that we'll also need a Nonsmoking Section if the scope of the Smoking Section cannot be defined in a way that nonsmokers are also welcome to come here to gather information about where there might be surreptitious smoking or smoking nearby. Of course, in any event, discussions about whether people should smoke would need to be strongly forbidden.
Just asking where in New York City you can find a hotel which does not allow smoking would require several hundred answers and in the rare exceptions where a hotel does permit it, it is restricted to a single floor.
Restaurants? In most cities there is no smoking allowed indoors. We certainly are not going to list every restaurant in a city.
The two exceptions I mentioned are casinos and restaurants with outdoor smoking areas. In Las Vegas, I don't know of a single casino which does not allow smoking (there might be some exceptions as I haven't been to every casino) and in Europe casinos tend to have separate smoking areas, generally on different floors.
Local residents, who are generally not familiar with hotels in their city, do tend to know about outdoor smoking at restaurants and the situation at the local casinos. You would probably be more apt to get specific information in a local forum than you would in the smokers forum.
I mentioned in another post that I wouldn't be able to tell you what hotels in Israel allow smoking as it has been at least a decade since I stayed at any hotel in the country. I do know that it is a minority of hotels.
On the other hand, as a local resident I know that any restaurant which has an outdoor area allows smoking in it -- despite an attempt a few years ago to have smoking banned at outdoor tables.
Last edited by Dovster; Jul 2, 2015 at 5:26 pm
#173
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
many places continue to make it increasingly difficult to smoke. an argument that the existence of a forum on FT (little readership compared to rest of internet) will somehow outweigh local laws/regulations is not a strong / logical argument.
thats not even getting into demographics/etc of FT and smokers.
there are many threads on FT that 'glorify' alcohol consumption. so forum discussing where one can/cannot smoke is not only not 'glorifying' smoking, but is useful to nonsmokers. many have noted usefulness for nonsmokers. and many nonsmokers / anti-smoking support smoking forum from perspective of forum organization.
i dont recall any philosophical/etc argument against manufactured spend forum.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ge-thread.html >
updated 5 days later, not sure how many saw that update
(i searched and didnt see prior quote of post in TB forum)
one of the other TravelBuzz moderators has posted in support of smoking forum
if a smoking thread was allowed in OMNI, would obviously limit participation
thats not even getting into demographics/etc of FT and smokers.
there are many threads on FT that 'glorify' alcohol consumption. so forum discussing where one can/cannot smoke is not only not 'glorifying' smoking, but is useful to nonsmokers. many have noted usefulness for nonsmokers. and many nonsmokers / anti-smoking support smoking forum from perspective of forum organization.
i dont recall any philosophical/etc argument against manufactured spend forum.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ge-thread.html >
Jun 18, 15, 9:59 am
Closed pending moderator review. /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator
Update: FlyerTalk is organised into different fora not only to help manage the vast knowledge of the community but also to make it it easier to find information. Discussions about the policies & practices of airlines, hotels, car rental companies, & destinations should occur in the appropriate forum. Therefore, this thread shall remain closed. /TravelBuzz mod team
Last edited by JY1024; Jun 23, 15 at 3:45 pm. Reason: update
Closed pending moderator review. /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator
Update: FlyerTalk is organised into different fora not only to help manage the vast knowledge of the community but also to make it it easier to find information. Discussions about the policies & practices of airlines, hotels, car rental companies, & destinations should occur in the appropriate forum. Therefore, this thread shall remain closed. /TravelBuzz mod team
Last edited by JY1024; Jun 23, 15 at 3:45 pm. Reason: update
(i searched and didnt see prior quote of post in TB forum)
one of the other TravelBuzz moderators has posted in support of smoking forum
if a smoking thread was allowed in OMNI, would obviously limit participation
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 2, 2015 at 4:58 pm
#174
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 65
Approve.
It is my opinion that not being able to smoke, and the stress it causes, can have a definite negative effect on passenger behaviour, which concerns all passengers - smokers and non-smokers alike.
It is my opinion that not being able to smoke, and the stress it causes, can have a definite negative effect on passenger behaviour, which concerns all passengers - smokers and non-smokers alike.
#175
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: LH Senator,*A Gold, IHG Gold Ambassador, AB Gold, One World Sapphire, Accor Gold, A3 Gold
Posts: 24
I support it why make others lives difficult^
#176
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: UA AA CO DL
Posts: 7
Strongly Oppose
Perhaps we could set up an area for psychiatric counseling to see why in the world these people continue to want to commit suicide by tobacco.
#177
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928
Thank you for a perfect example of why a Smokers Forum, where debate about smoking and attacks on smokers would not be allowed, is needed.
#178
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
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Posts: 21,624
Some people may have difficulty separating the concept of helping smokers obtain information from the concept of supporting their decision to smoke. I don't have any problem making the distinction.
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Winter Garden, FL
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#180
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928
I can foresee someone posting in the Smokers Forum "I will be spending a week in Miami in January. I would prefer a Starwood property but if there are none which allow smoking, which hotels do have smoking rooms?"
That kind of post is not apt to get an answer in the Starwood Forum if there are no Starwood properties he can go to.