These threads always offer a fascinating view of humanity.

I don't smoke, can't stand the smell of smoke on my clothes, and don't plan to ever start smoking.

However, the passing smell of cigarette smoke doesn't bother me in a place such as an outdoor balcony. When people sit and smoke at tables in outdoor cafes, it is a little more bothersome, and I'd prefer in those instances if they'd move off elsewhere to smoke and then return.

It is unreasonable to expect a smoker to go completely off-property to have a cigarette when they can simply go outside and smoke (and let their clothes briefly air out before coming back into the room). I think this is a reasonable accommodation. Smoking/non-smoking floors are even better.

I am sure I have met your girlfriend twice. ;)
Both incidents happened a long time ago, but within 6 months of each other.

1. I lit up after dinner in smoking section of a restaurant. A woman walking by stopped at my table and said "I wish you wouldn't smoke here."
2. I was smoking while walking on a pedestrian only street when a young girl screamed at me, " Get this filthy thing away from me".

Both times I was stunned.
I absolutely understand your intense dislike for smoke pervading your clothes. It even gets into your carpet, drapes and upholstery. When I smoked, I had placed restrictions on where I would allow myself to smoke. No smoking in homes or cars, whether mine or someone else's, unless the owner was smoking. Even on the coldest, the hottest, windiest, the snowiest or the rainiest days, I went outside the house, away from windows and the entrance to smoke. had smoking clothes. that I would don before going out to smoke and they were kept separate from other clothes until they were ready to be washed.
I understand how annoying it can be for a nonsmoker to smell the smoke. Stale smoke is even worse. Making accommodation for other people around you is what matters. Expecting very one in the world to comply with your likes and dislikes is unreasonable.
When I smoked, I would never be the first one to smoke min mixed company without asking if it bothered anyone. But in public places where smoking was allowed or in the smoking section of an establishment, I expected to smoke without getting admonished by non-smokers.

Does anyone remeber thre time when people lit up in movie theatres?

I remember naively moving my seat on a transatlantic flight to an empty row near the back so I could lay down, not realizing that only a couple rows back was the section segregated for the smokers. That why a few rows were empty in the first place! Horrible, sick making 8 hours.

Look, I wish everyone who smokes could quit for their own health. So glad people are no longer allowed to smoke in enclosed public spaces where second hand smoke really is unpleasant. But smoking is not illegal and we need to allow reasonable accomodation, such as balcony smoking.

:rolleyes:
Then would it be equally fair to say that non-smokers think anyone's attempt to recline is a hostile act, to be countered by delivering a sharp knee in the back?
:rolleyes:
If it's not fair with one analogy, then it's not fair with the other.

Paint with a broad brush much?

Seriously, I don't even recline my seat more than an inch just to be a bit more comfortable. I hate the knee slammers just as much as anyone else and wouldn't do it to anyone - even if it's being done to me.

So how many other ways are you going to find to insult smokers, who, particularly in this thread, have shown they actually are considerate of others and are asking for just a bit in return?

This bulletin board is frequented by many international participants, such as you would appear to be. After I read your post, I searched smoking rates among nurses. I found that smoking rates by Australian nurses are astonishingly high (consistent with my understanding of your "nurses have very high rate of smoking" comment). That and the location listed in your profile lead me to the assumption that you were using the Australian statistics.

The figure that turned up in my search for smoking rates among U.S. nurses was 15%, about the same as it is for the general population. Still too high for health care providers in my opinion.

I fully recognize that on rare occasions there may be emergency situations or exigent circumstances that will prevent me from choosing a health care provider. However, 99.9% of the time I can exercise discretion about whom I see and 100% of those times I choose to be treated by non-smokers.

Actually I don't recline. I'm not a fan of having someone recline on me, but seeing as how the airlines allow it, I hardly see myself as "victim." And I don't take it personally if someone reclines. In fact, it is equally selfish for the reclinee to become nasty to the recliner, as the reclinee is then putting his/her leg room as more important than the recliner's comfort.

As with the balcony smoking, you have two people who want opposite things. They cannot both have what they want. They can each choose to be a bit flexible and respectful of each other, or can turn it into an unbearable situation for each other. It's not automatically the recliner who is the bad guy, nor is it automatically the smoker who is the bad guy. The only one who is consistently the bad guy is the one who flat-out refuses to even try to see from someone else's perspective.

Many people have long legs that are already in contact with the seat back.
Where exactly do 'power recliners' expect us to move our legs when you have driven your seat back into our legs with great force?

It's safe to assume the neither 'Mary' or 'dcpatti' have long legs and fail to understand the pain and discomfort caused by a 'power recliner' aggressively slamming a seat onto their legs.

As for their filthy drug addiction, for that is the smokers condition, if it's a no smoking building, it means smoking is NOT allowed anywhere in the building, including on balconies? Why should non smokers have to endure the stink and harmful pollution caused by your disgusting addiction?

You would assume wrong. My legs are almost touching the back of the seat in front of me. I'm tall.

It's legal. Get over it. Particularly outside where there is zero harm to you. You just don't like the smell.

What do you say to the hotels which tell us to smoke on the balcony? Or what about when we inform the hotel we will be doing so and they say OK?

And I don't like the way I'm being spoken to, particularly when I go out of my way to be considerate, so I will just allow you to get on with your bashing without me.

There's not much point in discussing this with people who think there personal comfort is such that others should refrain actions that are absolutely privileged.

I smoke where it is permitted to smoke. I don't smoke where it is not permitted to smoke.

I recline when it is permitted to recline, i.e. after wheels up. I don't recline when it is not permitted to recline.

Message From A Moderator
 

I have recently deleted two posts which were direct personal attacks. Personal or ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated and will be removed immediately. Stay on topic. The topic Is Smoking on a Hotel Room Balcony a No-No?"
If one wants to discuss the evils of smoking, please do so in an OMNI forum (if OMNI-qualified). Be civil.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Well, the heart of the issue really is, does the balcony count as IN the hotel? It is, after all, OUTSIDE. If it's not IN the hotel, and the hotel says " no smoking IN the hotel," then what is the ruling on the balcony?

BTW I'm 5'9" so my knees are no stranger to the setbacks.

As this thread has turned into the standard smoking/non smoking bash a thon, I thought I'd point out how good things are in the US for nonsmokers.

I currently live in Indonesia most of the year. While there are smoking regulations on the books, nothing is enforced. It's common to have a smoker get on an elevator and keep smoking. A nonsmoking section in a restaurant means nothing. They just start smoking, and grind it out in the floor, or staff brings them an ashtray.

I wish the biggest problem I had was someone smoking on an adjacent balcony!

We're done here. The prior warning to remain civil was not heeded so thread closed. Ocn Vw 1K, Mod.