Whose right is it?

My birthday was on New Year's Eve. My family offered to take me out to lunch to celebrate. I chose a restaurant nearby.

It turned out that the restaurant section wasn't open for lunch so we settled into a spacious booth in the lounge. There were only a few other diners at the place. We weren't there very long when another diner lit up a cigar. A stinky, smelly, smoky cigar. It was awful. We decided to move to a smaller booth that was closer to the door in order to minimize the discomfort from the smoke.

I was taught in my social studies class in 5th grade that "my rights end where your rights begin." I wonder sometimes what that means. Did we have the right to eat lunch without gagging on cigar smoke or did that man have the right to light up?

In the future, I will call ahead when dining out and only patronize establishments that are smoke-free. It is too bad. That restaurant had great food, I would like to go back, but won't until it goes smoke-free.

I know that many countries and cities have laws prohibiting smoking indoors. I would like that law in Iowa. Especially since too many people don't practice common courtesy.

Comments

[Jason Thrap]

My wife really feels strongly about this as well. Especially when we bring our little children out to eat with us. Alot of restaurants that allow smoking have the smoking sections but as a non tobacco user I would vote for smoke free establishments.

[Derek Bough]

Yesterday, Governor Chet Culver signed into law a controversial bill to ban smoking in most establishments. The controversy surrounds smokers' rights as well as the motive behind some of the exempt establishments like casinos.

I have to say that I support the bill even as a smoker. First of all, I enjoy a fine meal more in a smoke-free establishment. Secondly, my attempts to become a non-smoker have traditionally ended in a smoky environment rife with temptation. This bill is a great step in the right direction. It will be nice for non-smokers to dine wherever they like without having to call to see if the joint is smoke-free.

Derek