I’m a sorta-smoker, a fair-weathered smoker. I can take it or leave it. Sometimes I smoke daily, sometimes I go weeks without lighting up. It really depends on my mood and my wallet (since cigarettes are almost $10 a pack in Chicago).

In college we had to smoke 25 feet away from the dorms (which we never did). Then smoking was banned in bars and restaurants. I was at a bar in Upstate New York the first time I realized I was the only person smoking. Some random girl politely told me to be careful or else I could get in trouble – so I ducked into the bathroom to finish. I use to hate having to leave the bar to have a quick smoke between bars, but now I love it. It really is wonderful to go home without smelling of smoke from head to toe.

I feel like people forget that smoking is a choice.

Recently a couple rental car companies decided to officially ban smoking. The fact that you could smoke in a rental car was news to me – I always remembering seeing no smoking signs all over every rental car I’ve ever driven. Regardless, they are now enacting a policy that will fine renters $250 if they smoke in the car. I have yet to find out what the procedure will be in determining this. A heavy smoker might stink up the car without smoking in it. We’ve all walked by these people, they seem permanently surrounded by a billowy cloud of smoke. I doubt rental car companies go so far as to say you can’t smoke at all while renting the car…

This morning as I got ready for work, I was watching the Insider – and the debate of the day was “Should Patrick Swayze Have Stopped Smoking?” I was shocked by this. We all do things everyday that are horrible for us and we are – all in a sense – dying every day. We all have choices and personal responsibility. I make choices based on what is best for me, at the moment. An outsider might disagree with my choice, but that’s their choice not mine.

It is absolutely the right of any establishment to make any sort of rules they want and people can chose whether to patronize them. But there is a fine line of discrimination that comes into play. It’s OK to say no one can smoke but it’s probably not OK to say that orange colored t-shirts aren’t allowed. I hate to sound argumentative (a tad trite) but why not? In general, I find orange to be an ugly color but establishments aren’t banning smoking because they necessarily think it’s better for their consumers lungs they are doing it because it’s better for their wallets and image… I doubt banning orange will have quite the same effect.

But maybe that’s me being cynical.

photo by Ana Labate

UPDATE

Ryan Air so proves my point –it’s all about the $$$. but I guess that’s not really a new revelation is it.