# Do you smoke?



## LadyCook61 (Feb 14, 2008)

I don't smoke , am allergic to cigarette , cigar, pipe smoke. Even if I weren't allergic , I would not smoke. If I smell smoke in a restaurant or diner, I walk out, I refuse to eat there.  Some places say they have a no smoking area but it usually not far enough away from the non smoking area.   When I eat , I want to be able to savor my meal not smoke.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 14, 2008)

Yes I smoke, but never in a restaurant. I don't like to mix smoke with my food and don't like to eat in a place filled with smoke.
You wouldn't believe the number of filters around my house, or how often I take my smokes outside and away from the family.
Most people who come into my house have no idea there is a smoker in the house. I am hoping soon I will be able to get a prescription for the inhaler, the patch and gum already failed.


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## sparrowgrass (Feb 14, 2008)

Nope.  My dad did, and I watched him choke to death for about 5 years before he finally died.


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## GotGarlic (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoked for about 10 years but quit in 1990. I can't stand being in smoke-filled restaurants, either.


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## krichardson (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoke, but here in Ohio we can no longer smoke inside any public building. There was a huge hoopla about it when this law passed. Most bars felt that they would lose a lot of business. But I think most people find it refreshing to into restaurants and only have it be non-smoking. I don't mind as I never sat in the smoking section anyways.


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## Uncle Bob (Feb 14, 2008)

I do not smoke!!!


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## *amy* (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoke...............

Message too short.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 14, 2008)

krichardson said:


> I smoke, but here in Ohio we can no longer smoke inside any public building. There was a huge hoopla about it when this law passed. Most bars felt that they would lose a lot of business. But I think most people find it refreshing to into restaurants and only have it be non-smoking. I don't mind as I never sat in the smoking section anyways.



Same here, Illinois is smoke free in public establishments. I voted for it.


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## texasgirl (Feb 14, 2008)

Okay, here goes........NO!!! LOL
As of 2 weeks today, no, I do not smoke.

But, I never liked being in a smokey area! My sisters and I ALWAYS ask for no smoking section. DH and I did not smoke in our house. I smoked in my car, but, had to roll down the window the whole time, not matter the weather, I couldn't stand the smoke, yeah, WEIRDO!! LOL


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## Fisher's Mom (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoke but I wish I didn't. It's way too much trouble because I only smoke outside. Sometimes when I'm sitting outside smoking in the freezing rain I really think I'm crazy!


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## texasgirl (Feb 14, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> I smoke but I wish I didn't. It's way too much trouble because I only smoke outside. Sometimes when I'm sitting outside smoking in the freezing rain I really think I'm crazy!


 
You are, I know, cause I was too!! You know, I'm going to hound you now


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## CharlieD (Feb 14, 2008)

sparrowgrass said:


> Nope. My dad did, and I watched him choke to death for about 5 years before he finally died.


 

Yeah, so did my grandfather, he kept smiking and drinking until 95.

I quit, again, couple of years ago. I've been trying to quit sinse I was 16. I started when I was 12.


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## auntdot (Feb 14, 2008)

Never smoked, but grew up at a time when everyone elso almost did.

Remember being at family get togethers where you could see the smokey cloud.  Had to leave as a kid because it burned my eyes.

With the exception of that kind of assault, I really don't mind smoke much.  In a restaurant will sit in the smoking area if we can be seated instead of waiting for a seat in the non smoking area. And don't care if the hotel room is smoking or not.

Just me.  The stuff generally does not bother me. 

Talking about cigarette smoke.  Pipe and cigars have no places in restaurants I believe.


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## babetoo (Feb 14, 2008)

i have smoked 52 years. i only smoke in my sunroom. it gets everthing dirty. never smoke in someones house or in public places.

i gave up spirits, sweets and sex don't intend at this late date to give up  smoking.

babe


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## jpmcgrew (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoke I have a fan about 3 ft away in the window to suck the smoke out and another fan on the other side of me pushing smoke to fan in window. My house also does not smell of smoke. I hate being in smoky rooms and do not smoke anywhere I shouldn't.


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## darlenemt08 (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm also allergic to smoking.  My dad said he tried it once before he met my mom and said that he go sick from it.  Said he'd never do it again.  Both my mom & he do not smoke.  Thank God!  None of my siblings don't either.  I grew up to where my mom & dad would allow other people to smoke in their house.  Then my nephew was born and my younger sister & her son lived in their home for the first few months of his life.  My sister said that she wasn't going to allow smoking around her son and my parents agreed to stop allowing people to smoke in their house.  I grew up to where my mom would light candles and open the windows to help clear out the smoke smell, including during the winter months.  My sister & I don't allow it in our house either.  We sometimes provide clean tuna cans or small dog food cans for people to use outside.  I'm single and have met guys who smoke.  I know better than to try to change a guy by telling him to quit smoking.  Smoking turns me off and I'm one of those people who also don't like going around smelling like it.  I don't date guys who smoke but, who also heavy drinkers.  My dad's 3 brothers are dead because of both.


I used to work in our small-town cafe.  The husband/wife owners smoked and so did the adult help.  My pet peeve was that I'd be working in the kitchen and the head cook and whatever other kitchen help we had would go out and smoke.  I'd tend to an order while they're out puffing away on their cigarettes.  One of the help told me that I was lucky that I didn't smoke 'cause it meant that I didn't have to take smoke breaks.  Heck, just because I didn't smoke, it doesn't mean that I didn't need a break.  Whenever I worked the evening shift, I'd come home smelling like smoke & the greasy food.  The smoking was worse at night due to the beer-drinkers.  The place only sold beer & wine coolers along with cigarettes & cigars.  Last July, new management took over and it became a bar besides a cafe.  The smoking got worse then.  After less than a month, I left.  Thank God!

Darlene


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## pdswife (Feb 14, 2008)

Nope.. not now.. not ever.  I can't stand the smell.


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## pacanis (Feb 14, 2008)

auntdot said:


> Never smoked, but grew up at a time when everyone elso almost did.
> 
> Remember being at family get togethers where you could see the smokey cloud. Had to leave as a kid because it burned my eyes.
> 
> ...


 
You hit upon something I was going to bring up, auntdot. 
What I have noticed in my life of watching things go from smoking to non-smoking, and myself go from smoking to non-smoking, is that it's the people who have quit smoking that put up the biggest stink about smokers. I like to call them "_born again_ non-smokers".
You _rarely_ find someone who hasn't taken up smoking in their entire life complaining, but run into someone who has quit sitting at another table or four bar stools down catch a whiff of smoke wafting through the air and you'd think it got blown directly into their face. The contortioning and faces they make should be on funniest videos. That's just something I've noticed.

Me, I rarely smoked in my home, never at work until shortly before I quit/retired, though it was a shop, never after a meal or first thing in the morning, but I still managed to smoke a pack if I was out drinking and shooting pool at night, or not drinking and playing a couple rounds of golf that day, which very often ended up in a loooong nineteenth hole. So I was a heavy smoker in a small time frame. I never liked the way my clothes smelled the next day, so I was doing a lot more laundery, but never complained about others even after I quit, as long as they were being "polite" about smoking and not blowing it directly at me, which doesn't happen to often when you're out because of fans and ventilation.

Smoking is not high on my list of things others do that bother me.


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## love2"Q" (Feb 14, 2008)

I smoke .. never inside a house .. or a car .. rarely go out to eat ..
when i do it usually outside ..


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## jpmcgrew (Feb 14, 2008)

Most smokers are very polite and would never dream of smoking in someones house or anywhere else its frowned upon. We know we have a disgusting habit. And it is true most former smokers are more righteous than thou than non smokers.


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## Fisher's Mom (Feb 14, 2008)

jpmcgrew said:


> Most smokers are very polite and would never dream of smoking in someones house or anywhere else its frowned upon. We know we have a disgusting habit.


It's true. I'm very embarrassed about still smoking and would never dream of doing it anywhere near non-smokers or inside buildings. I must admit, though, that I especially enjoy visiting my girlfriend who lives alone and smokes inside her house. I feel really decadent smoking inside when I'm there.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 14, 2008)

I used to go over to a friends house for poker night, and there would be 4 us all smokers there. We would actually take turns smoking because even with the filters and fans going full blast the smoke was too much for us if more than one person smoked at a time. Even then we timed intervals of no smoking by anyone.
Not such a big deal in the summer if fans were going, but if the apartment was closed up in the winter or because the air conditioner was running it could get bad enough to make my eyes water.
Now add to that the fact that one of the guys got into smoking cigars...


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## David Cottrell (Feb 14, 2008)

*No, finally quit smoking.*

Don't smoke, but I did more on than off for years. Finally quit for good about maybe ten years ago at age 59 - probably too late but nothing to be done about it now.

I agree with my good Ohio friend, it's better - no smoking here in public buildings. It's great. Absolutely. Give it a try!


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## Constance (Feb 14, 2008)

I have smoked all my life. 

I don't want to inconvenience anyone, and try to be thoughtful, but I feel persecuted, and believe that my right to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness is being violated. 
What is this deal about Big Brother deciding what is good for me? OK, I have the information. Now, he needs to mind his own business.

I don't want to bother any of you all...just give me a little place where I can be comfortable.


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## babetoo (Feb 14, 2008)

Constance said:


> I have smoked all my life.
> 
> I don't want to inconvenience anyone, and try to be thoughtful, but I feel persecuted, and believe that my right to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness is being violated.
> What is this deal about Big Brother deciding what is good for me? OK, I have the information. Now, he needs to mind his own business.
> ...


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## sattie (Feb 14, 2008)

Habitual smoker in my teens and 20s, quit.... I only smoke socially now and I'm not quite sure how I pull that off.  Usually that is about once every two months and amounts to about 5 cigs.  After I smoke them, then I realize why I quit in the first place!

Don't tell anyone... it's my secret!!!


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## Bilby (Feb 15, 2008)

We haven't been allowed to smoke in cinemas for decades, shopping centres and shops for not much shorter, Govt buildings and hospitals best part of a decade and restaurants and pubs/hotels for a couple of years. They are starting to ban smoking in restaurant's alfresco areas (ie on public sidewalk) now as well.  And you can't smoke within 5 metres of an entrance to a Govt building, incl hospitals.  Think you can still smoke in the International Room at the Burswood Casino, but that's about it for WA.

I've never smoked but grew up with parents smoking and most of my boyfriends having done so, not many of my friends though.  Think we persecute smokers now out of fear mainly.  Providing a smoker exhibits good manners and we aren't in an enclosed space, they don't bother me.  Having said that, I find it annoying when smokers light up just out of habit.  Smoke cos you want/need the cigarette, not just cos it is 5pm or you are getting in your car, that sort of thing.


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## Ask-A-Butcher (Feb 15, 2008)

I smoked 3+ packs a day for 25 years. I gave it up in 1991. 

It's a personal choice, if you want to smoke...go for it. If you want to drink...go for it.

However, with all the evidence available today, why one would want to do either is a mystery to me 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





I do imbibe, but I don let it interfere with my life.


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## lyndalou (Feb 15, 2008)

I did smoke, but quit cold turkey when diagnosed with breast cancer13 years ago. Don't miss it and am a real pain in the derriere when I have to be around smokers.


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## GrillingFool (Feb 15, 2008)

Ex 3+pack a day smoker. Lucky for me, I don't crave them, either.
Except this Sunday, stuck in snowy traffic on I-81. If there had been a 
pack on the side of the road, I would have smoked them all. Even if they
were Carlton 120s, the nastiest cigarette in America, LOL!

I am not a righteous ex-smoker. Light 'em up if you so desire, but not in my house
or car. And preferably not in my face. Otherwise, indulge!


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## wysiwyg (Feb 15, 2008)

I don't smoke, never did.  However, my ex-wife does even though her Father passed away because of lung related illness. I truly hated the smell of my daughters' clothes when they would come visit me on weekends, thanks God, they live with me now.


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## Mel! (Feb 15, 2008)

Yes, I smoke. 
But I have cut down to 2 per day when I am at home. When I go out at night  or while I am travelling(my other hobby besides cooking) I smoke more than that. 

Mel


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## middie (Feb 15, 2008)

I am a smoker. I do not smoke in my house since my son is asthmatic.
I smoke in my car, but not when my son is in the car. And the window
is down when I do smoke.


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## radhuni (Feb 15, 2008)

I think you can guess my answer.


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## Constance (Feb 15, 2008)

GrillingFool said:


> Even if they were Carlton 120s, the nastiest cigarette in America, LOL!



I smoke Carlton 100's...have for over 30 years. I believe them when they say there is no safe cigarette, but with 1 mg tar and 0.1 mg nicotine, it has 1/17 the amount of the bad stuff that Marlboro Reds have. 
One thing about it...NOBODY ever bums a cigarette from me.


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## VeraBlue (Feb 15, 2008)

No, I used to, but quit 6 years ago.  Nothing worse than a reformed smoker, I hear.  I cannot stand the smell.  If I'm driving in my car with the windows open and the guy in the car in front of me is smoking, I can smell it!  There is a local liquor store that I cannot shop in because the staff, who cannot smoke in the store, all smoke in the store room.  The entire shop stinks.

In NJ and NY you cannot smoke in any public building, anywhere, including restaurants.  Yay!  The shore areas I frequent have even designated the sand as a smoke free area.  Most of the boardwalk is smoke free, too!  I always hate sitting outside and trying to enjoy the fresh air and having to smell someone's cigarettes.


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## LEFSElover (Feb 15, 2008)

H&LL no..........


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## sattie (Feb 15, 2008)

VeraBlue said:


> I always hate sitting outside and trying to enjoy the fresh air and having to smell someone's cigarettes.


 
I'm with ya on that one!  Or even trying to enjoy dinner in the non smoking section at a resturaunt, but you can still smell the smoke... so appetizing!!!


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## JoAnn L. (Feb 15, 2008)

Another reason not to smoke. I just read this in my new magazine yesterday. Cigarette smoking quadruples the chances that you'll develop age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 55.


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## Andy M. (Feb 15, 2008)

I quit 30 years ago.


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## miniman (Feb 15, 2008)

krichardson said:


> I smoke, but here in Ohio we can no longer smoke inside any public building. There was a huge hoopla about it when this law passed. Most bars felt that they would lose a lot of business. But I think most people find it refreshing to into restaurants and only have it be non-smoking. I don't mind as I never sat in the smoking section anyways.


 
 We have a similar law here and it makes me far happier to take my children into resturants (especially pub resturants. We went to one in August which my in laws had been to before, and they commented how much nicer it was.


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## texasgirl (Feb 15, 2008)

Bilby said:


> Providing a smoker exhibits good manners and we aren't in an enclosed space, they don't bother me. Having said that, I find it annoying when smokers light up just out of habit. Smoke cos you want/need the cigarette, not just cos it is 5pm or you are getting in your car, that sort of thing.


 
Smokers don't bother you, but, it annoys you that they smoke out of habit. I don't see why this would bother you. Say someone drinks a soda the same time everyday, which I do, would that bother you?.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 15, 2008)

babetoo said:


> Constance said:
> 
> 
> > I have smoked all my life.
> ...



I understand the feeling there, but at the same time most of this was centered around the industry lying about a product that kills, as well as enhancing their product to make it more addictive. It is also about protecting the general health of the public. I don't want to be responsible for giving someone I don't even know cancer from second hand smoking.

What gets me more are the extra taxes we have to pay on cigarettes. The whole point of suing the tobacco companies was to get money from them to offset rising costs of health care for smokers. If we were the victims of the tobacco companies as their suits (that they won) state, then why are we also paying all this extra money?

In my opinion the extra taxes on cigarettes is unconstitutional, and turns us from the victims as the suits say into the responsible party somehow. Or more accurately, feels more like yet another excuse by our politicians to bilk even more money out of us.

Which is why I buy my cigarettes from the Ukraine and pay no taxes what-so-ever, let someone else pay for their pay raises, private jets and constant vacations to avoid doing their jobs...


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## pacanis (Feb 15, 2008)

Maverick2272 said:


> I understand the feeling there, but at the same time most of this was centered around the industry lying about a product that kills, as well as enhancing their product to make it more addictive. It is also about protecting the general health of the public. I don't want to be responsible for giving someone I don't even know cancer from second hand smoking.
> 
> What gets me more are the extra taxes we have to pay on cigarettes. The whole point of suing the tobacco companies was to get money from them to offset rising costs of health care for smokers. If we were the victims of the tobacco companies as their suits (that they won) state, then why are we also paying all this extra money?
> 
> ...


 
Buddy, You forgot steroid and HGH investigations.
Oh, and illegal taping investigations.

Around here people pool up and drive an hour to the Reservation in NY. No taxes there either.  On gasoline for that matter, too.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 15, 2008)

I ordered them for awhile from Seneca, NY. Then one day I got a 'bill' in the mail from the state demanding I pay taxes on them. It turned out they were required to report my Internet purchases to the appropriate state government.
On the other hand, so far they can't require the Ukraine to report anything, LOL.
If I was close by I would take the trip as well.

Steroids, HGH, illegal taping, pandering to minors, God the list went on and on...


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## carolelaine (Feb 15, 2008)

I quit smoking for over a year and then started back in November when Daddy died.  He hated smoking, his father died at 49 from it, so he wouldn't be proud of me.  I'm now quitting again and it stinks.  I am amazed at how many of us do not smoke in our houses and would never smoke in a public place.  Yes, I have stood outside in the freezing rain too.  You can no longer smoke in a public building in Tennessee and that is perfectly alright with me, even as a smoker I never smoked in restaurants or public buildings.


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## JohnL (Feb 15, 2008)

Gave it up 30 years ago when I was tending bar. Boy, that was a HUMDINGER!!!!!!!
Believe it or not, even 30 years ago I got a lot of support from our patrons when they found out I was quitting.
What the heck, they raised the prices to $1.00 a pack! I had to quit!!
(of course I didn't stop driving when gas went to $1.00 a gallon)..............


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 15, 2008)

Only God Knows Why.


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## Chef Jolly (Feb 19, 2008)

Smoking.... as I put out a butt.... I hate it, hate it so bad.. but- It calls to me.  I want to quit, I got commit but have not tried it yet.. So very nasty.  I collect ski posters, and I have one that is an old ad for smoking by a famous downhill skier.  They used to promote that is was good for you !!  I never smoke in the house, or in my car, or anywhere I want to smell it.. I hate the smell of smoke.


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## Clienta (Feb 19, 2008)

I don't smoke now (I did have an occasional cigarette in college, 20 years ago). My husband has asthma & is very sensitive to smoke & any other chemicals in the air. We really can't hang out with people who are going to smoke near us or be at a place where there is smoking. 

We love that the States we spend time in FL & NY have no smoking laws in restaurants. Except now, I just hate walking through clouds of smoke to get into the restaurant & not being able to sit outside because it is now the smoking section.

We bought a house from a smoker in MX. It is amazing the nicotine stains & stickiness on the walls, curtains, couches, pillows, etc. The air conditioning unit still smells like cigarettes, we've lived in the house three years. After seeing the nicotine & smoke damage to the house, I can only imagine the old owner's lungs...scary. The newly elected Mayor & administration is talking about making all inside restaurants smoke free here....we can hardly wait!


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## Bilby (Feb 20, 2008)

texasgirl said:


> Smokers don't bother you, but, it annoys you that they smoke out of habit. I don't see why this would bother you. Say someone drinks a soda the same time everyday, which I do, would that bother you?.


If we had to accommodate your routine, then yes probably.  If you just had a soda that was incidental to anybody else, then no.  I put the bit about the habit down cos three people who were very close to me had habit cigarettes and those habits imposed on others around them - they would all light up when the got into the car, irrespective of the journey so even if you didn't mind the smoke in the car, you always had a dirty windscreen; my girlfriend would always light up as she was going to be dropped off, so you would have to wait for her to finish her cigarette before you could go home yourself and the boyfriend, well he just chain-smoked out of habit.  Habit smoking was my primary exposure to smoke.  I can understand someone needing something like a cigarette or wanting one or even liking one to round off dinner say but it really gets annoying when someone's habit is imposed on you. 

So I guess, really it is the imposition of the habit on me that I dislike rather than the habit itself if that makes better sense.  And if you are wondering whether I impose a habit on somebody else, well probably but I do try to not develop habits, and try to vary routines as well but I'm not perfect.


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## YT2095 (Feb 20, 2008)

I`ve been a smoker about 30 years now, but I won`t go into a food joint where people are allowed to smoke either.

having a "Smoking area" in a food joint is like having a corner in a swimming pool were you`re allowed to Pee!


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## texasgirl (Feb 20, 2008)

Bilby said:


> If we had to accommodate your routine, then yes probably. If you just had a soda that was incidental to anybody else, then no. I put the bit about the habit down cos three people who were very close to me had habit cigarettes and those habits imposed on others around them - they would all light up when the got into the car, irrespective of the journey so even if you didn't mind the smoke in the car, you always had a dirty windscreen; my girlfriend would always light up as she was going to be dropped off, so you would have to wait for her to finish her cigarette before you could go home yourself and the boyfriend, well he just chain-smoked out of habit. Habit smoking was my primary exposure to smoke. I can understand someone needing something like a cigarette or wanting one or even liking one to round off dinner say but it really gets annoying when someone's habit is imposed on you.
> 
> So I guess, really it is the imposition of the habit on me that I dislike rather than the habit itself if that makes better sense. And if you are wondering whether I impose a habit on somebody else, well probably but I do try to not develop habits, and try to vary routines as well but I'm not perfect.


 
Okay, that I understand. Just wanted to see what it was that bothered you. 



> I`ve been a smoker about 30 years now, but I won`t go into a food joint where people are allowed to smoke either.
> 
> having a "Smoking area" in a food joint is like having a corner in a swimming pool were you`re allowed to Pee!


 
EWWWWW but, that's as close as your going to get. I was always like that too.


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