CommuterRun

I wouldn't have any heartburn with that. I smoke Camel Non-Filters for lack of a filter, thus lack of a litter problem.

MyPC8MyBrain

Pretty much the same story, except I smoked longer. From 16 to 38 a pack a day or more.
I quit smoking at the same time I started riding around the same time. Couldn't get down the block on the bike. Now, 10 years later, is quite another story.

Smoking is bad....MMMMM K

CsHoSi

I smoked from 17-24. I'm happy to say that I quit smoking by starting to ride bikes again! Will be two years now on Sept. 14th.

I told myself I'd quit after HS, then college. I was still smoking starting my career. The reason (excuse) I always pushed it further out was it's too stressful. Well, let me tell you, my work is more stressful than school. Two or three weeks into it I decided it was time.

I started riding my Mom's old Huffy around town when I wanted to go outside and smoke. At first I still smoked when I got back. After a week or two of that it was becoming easier not to smoke after the ride. I then stopped entirely and bought myself a real bike as a reward!

Was riding religiously the first year and got into a healthy diet. This second year slowed off because I overused my knee. I lapsed a few times and had a smoke with friends at work. It was enjoyable at first
for an occasional smoke but I felt guilty and can't really say I've gone a solid two years now. Then I'd start thinking of all the ick and why I quit and it wasn't pleasant anymore.

I like the sensation of smoking, I don't like having the dependency. Plus I already run out of breath going up hills.

pirate golf

Not anymore...

I just moved from Vegas. A few months ago, they banned indoor smoking in establishments that want to serve any food. Some bars (drinks only; you can't even get nachos) chose to allow smokers to drink and smoke.

mirage1

I quit a pack+ a day habit nearly 14 years ago cold turkey. I looooooved smoking and would still love it if it weren't for the minor issues of things like role-model, cancer, wheeze, stink, inconvenience, and expense. Plus it's a lot easier to sit through a 90-minute movie these days than it used to be (or heaven forbid, a 3-hour meeting! Gah!).

This was me, the first 8 or 10 times I tried to quit.


Good for you for quitting. It's not easy but it's really the right thing to do.

mirage1

Those are great examples of other places that need work, but that doesn't mean there's no positive effect from the smoking bans.

gmule

I am 8 years almost 9 years quit. I don't miss it and I wonder why I ever smoked in the first place.

Python

We just had a ban on smoking in public place imposed on us here in England on 1st July. It is hugely unpopular, no-one wanted it but the government pushed it through saying public opinion wanted it. Odd that given that the public wasn't consulted at all. The "public" the government referred to was 52,000 people, half made up of ASH representatives and the rest CRUK (Cancer Research UK) and people from the medical profession. Pubs, clubs and cafes are closing down right, left and centre already and every one you pass by is empty. Those who have tables outside at the moment are doing best. I went for a coffee yesterday morning and had to sit outside. The tables outside were full, the tables inside the cafe, no one was sitting at them. Bingo halls are closing down as people have stopped going. Is it fair to turn people, ages ranging from 60 to 90+ out in the freezing cold, wind, snow and rain? People who fought in WWII to keep us free? I think it's obscene. Many of these people no longer go out. Going to the bingo was their only social pleasure. The anti-smoking zealots have taken that away from them but what do they care so long as they get their own way. Given that the fumes given off by vehicles is highly carcinogenic I think the antis need their heads examined.

Over here anti-smokers now think they have a free reign to treat smokers like dirt. One lady I know has been spat on but the worst I've heard so far was a guy in Wales was smoking while waiting for a bus. Guy behind him objected to him smoking and told him to put out the cigarette. The guy carried on smoking so the guy objecting beat the cr*p out of him. He needed hospital treatment. The guy who was smoking turned out to be profoundly deaf and has been since birth yet the anti-smoking zealot didn't have the brains to work that one out. His answer was to beat the poor guy up. He has been arrested. I hope the antis are pleased with themselves. I don't know about over in the States, but already over here they've created a "them" and "us" situation where the anti-smokers (not tolerant non-smokers - they're sympathetic to what's happening to smokers) are spouting out and out hatred and in many cases violence.

Now that the antis have got their way, they're turning their attention to drinkers and overweight people. The government here is planning on slapping a tax on milk, butter and cheese. They obviously haven't heard of the old disease called Ricketts which makes children's bones deformed through lack of calcium. No doubt the greedy pharmaceuticals who are at the back of this ban smoking and ban everything will be waiting to force their calcium supplements on people making a nice, fat profit for themselves the same as they are doing with their nicotine replacement garbage.

I belong to an organisation called Freedom2Choose. At the moment they are fighting the smoking ban and have a Judicial Review (High Court) in the pipeline (no pun intended). We are trying very hard to get the smoking ban overturned. If the Judicial Review fails we will be taking our case to the European Court of Human Rights.

For what we're trying to achieve have a look at:

www.freedom2choose.co.uk

ItsJustMe

Even though I hate cigarette smoke, I guess I have to agree that maybe you have the right to stink up the place. As long as you agree that I also have the right to bring in some substance that, when burned, makes you gag and has long term health consequences, and makes a certain percentage of the population have allergic reactions, keeping them from being able to eat in the restaurant where I am burning my crud.

I'm really serious here. If you think about it, and you're OK with me burning a pile of dried cat vomit mixed with road tar the next booth over from you, then I'm OK with you smoking your cigs.

Python

So what's wrong with establishments that allow smoking and those that don't? People who don't smoke don't exactly have their arms twisted to go into a smoking pub or cafe. They go in of their own free will. I smoke but no-one's ever forced me to go into a non-smoking establishment. Trouble is, anti-smokers want everything their own way. They don't know the meaning of the word compromise. They're also a very gullible lot who have swallowed the biggest lie this century perpetrated by the big pharmaceuticals in the name of profit, hook, line and sinker.

dirtylaundry

alright it's a deal if your willing to go through that to make your point. I'll be happy smoking and I'll be happy avoiding the place where your burning up all that crap.

mirage1

^^You gave up on quitting already?^^

CommuterRun

No what it means is that there are far bigger problems, with much more far reaching negative consequences if allowed to continue, and much more far reaching positive consequences if the problems are properly addressed. What is happening is that people, particularly politicians, lack the guts to tackle these problems. Instead they tackle the smallest of problems, which is the biggest one they feel safe with, regulate it and say, "Oh, look what we did. Look what a great job we're doing."

When what they're doing doesn't amount to spitting in the ocean.

dobber

My brother sold me his Lemond because "It's hard to lite a smoke while riding"

I do wish he'd quit though.

makeinu

Hogwash. If you're not happy with the way any particular restaurant smells then take it up with the owner of that particular restaurant. The government should not be getting involved.

After all, what makes your desire to not smell tobacco smoke trump the other guy's desire to enjoy a smoke with his after dinner cup of coffee?

Should they also ban stinky tofu from restaurant menus so you don't have to smell it when eating out (even if you're eating at "Stinky Tofu R Us")?

Not everybody goes to bars just to drink, you know. Some people go to have a smoke. How would you like it if alcohol was banned from bars and restaurants because some people don't like seeing drunkards?

If your preference for smoke free restaurants was really the issue at hand here then smoking never would have been banned from restaurants. The real issue was the safety of restaurant workers in the face of second hand smoke. However, real as the issue may be, it is also bull**** because restaurant workers could just as well wear face masks.

If the restaurant owner allows it then that's fine with me. It's his restaurant after all and he's free to do as he likes. He's also free to lose me as a customer.

This is the proper answer to the smoking issue. Not a nany state.

freako

I use to smoke when I was in Vietnam, but after I got back I quit, just lost the urge for it-thank God!! Haven't smoked now for about 35 years.

mirage1

You didn't say this wasn't a big enough issue, you said it didn't have any substance. I don't disagree with you that there are bigger issues, but it still doesn't mean that this particular issue doesn't have substance.

ItsJustMe

The problem is, when there's no smoking ban in place, there ARE no restaurants that don't allow smoking. The non-smoker's choice is to never eat out.

At least, from my recollection of pre-smoking-ban times, I can't remember ever going into a restaurant and not having it smell like an ashtray.

Don't underestimate what cigarette smoke smells like to non-smokers. It's quite as vile as a rotting carcass to some of us. I don't think it's just us being dramatic about it either, it's really quite horrid.

I have a friend who's quite allergic to cigarette smoke; he begins having trouble breathing within a few moments of walking into a room where someone's smoked recently. The interesting part is, he recently went to England and found that he could hang out in smoke-filled pubs for hours without problem. Apparently, in the US, they're really loading cigarettes up with some pretty nasty chemicals.

donnamb 

This has gotten so far off-topic, I have no idea what this has to do with bike commuting anymore.