Give me an exception or I won’t stop crying
Poor Tim. Life just doesn’t go his way. When a neighborhood church needed to move a house to add on to there church, Timmy said no way, because they would have to cut a few branches off of his tree. When Timmy wanted to open a bar dowtown, he wanted the kids kicked out of DT. When someone wanted to open a bar across the street from his, he said they could not because they would have hip-hip dancing. When he realized he couldn’t make much money from a 200 square foot bar, he begged for a permit to have people drink on the sidewalk. Now Timmy wants his way again.
In a letter to the editor today in the Argus Leader (not up on website yet) Tim thinks cigar bars should have an exemption (surprise, surprise) and South Dakotans are misinformed about the smoking ban (that made me laugh). Not sure what freaking planet you have been living on the past 20 years, Timmy, but secondhand smoke kills people, secondly, cigars contain tobbaco that is smoked, just like a cigarette. What part of ‘smoking ban’ don’t you understand?
As usual, Tim is acting like a little brat to get his way. It’s time to stop sparing the rod with Mr. Kant. He doesn’t want this exemption for OTHER cigar lounges, he wants them for HIS cigar shop. It’s always about Tim, not the rest of us.
Enough! If the legislature can’t pass a total ban with NO exemptions, don’t pass one at all, let the voters decide, because a majority of us don’t give a rat’s ass about Tim’s cigar bar.
The gambling cartel is lobbying weak-kneed legislators with made-up studies that casinos lost significant business after smoking bans were enacted. Go visit your local casino over several days. Count the oxygen bottles among the old folks. . . .
If there is any compromise it must include equal floorspace and gaming access (machines, cards, etc.) for smoking and non-smoking in gaming places. Preferably there will be no compromise and a ban will be a ban.
When you go into a “cigar bar” you should expect to inhale a little bit of smoke. I don’t see the problem with allowing them an exception – even if the owner is a dick.
Better they smoke inside the bar than stink up the sidewalk.
GoD- normally I would agree, but in order for this ban to have teeth it needs to be a total ban, that and Tim thinks he is special, there is nothing special about his bar. Walk by there some Saturday night this summer and count the cigar smokers, maybe about 1%. It won’t hurt his business, if he thinks so, he is smoking something besides cigars.
Of the men at the bar, I’d say it’s more like 30%, especially if you go inside.
It may not hurt his business, but really, what would someone expect going into a bar called stogeez?
The air inside is about 10x cleaner than the Top Hat anyway.
If a being non-smoking establishment has no negative effect on business, why bother with a smoking ban? The bars that don’t allow smoking do fine, and the smokers know where they can go if they want to smoke indoors. If you don’t like sitting in a cloud of smoke, go to a non-smoking establishment. It seems like it would be much easier for people to vote with their feet and their wallets.
I’m against outright banning stuff – I guess it’s the social liberal in me.
It’s really about fairness. It would be one thing if there was exceptions for other establishments, then I would say, sure, cigar bars to. But if he gets his way, he will be the ONLY smoking bar in town. Talk about a goldmine.
I see the RC one is crying to;
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/02/02/news/top/doc4986d3b767f12229593452.txt
Being the only smoking bar in town while trying to be a classy cigar lounge will not work well for him. People who enjoy cigars don’t usually like cigarette smoke. Nor would they like the crowded environment when a hundred smokers stop in for a smoke on a cold day and then leave.
Capitalism would take care of Tim if he was the only smoking bar in town. Regular customers would leave, and the place would be crowded with people who are only there to smoke a cigarette.
He’d either have to make a cigars only rule, or he’d be out of business.
Exactly.
I do question the Hotel room thing though. How are they going to police that? Most people will turn on the fart fan in the bathroom and smoke in there.
Fart fans don’t work very well. Tobacco smoke permeates everything in a room. Even in my grandma’s garage, you can still smell smoke. She hasn’t had a cigarette for ten years.
That’s old person smell, very similiar.
Actually, I believe they call it “third-hand smoke” now. And yes, it will kill you on contact just like second-hand smoke.
That smell depresses me for some reason.
It’s not as bad as the nursing home smell. It’s a mix of sterile hospital dis-infectant, urine, poorly-wiped butts, old lady perfume, and cafeteria food. Takes some real getting used to.
I’m happy I don’t have any relative in one anymore.
>> “Capitalism would take care of Tim if he was the only smoking bar in town. Regular customers would leave, and the place would be crowded with people who are only there to smoke a cigarette.” <<
If his bar was within walking distance of several other good bars you might have a point, but because DTSF seems they would rather not have any good nightlife downtown, there aren’t that many quality place to go downtown, and thus the smokers in his cigar bar would likely be buying drinks too.
Timmy would be laughing all the way to the bank. His laughter might be interrupted from time to time due to a smokers cough, but he would be laughing regardless. I think he enjoys having his upper end cigar smoking crowd, but if it was packed full of cigarette smoking drinkers I’m sure he won’t complain.
Here is my idea for a common sense exception. Any business that makes at least 70% of their income from the sales of tobacco products can continue to allow smoking on their premises. However, if they make less than 70% of their profit from tobacco it must be smoke free.
There. I said it. No bar in the state could meet that criteria, so the only places it could possibly still be an issue is in a true smoke shop which can only be found in larger cities. With larger cities come more options and the people working and frequenting those types of places are probably ok with a little second-hand smoke.
I know, that has often been my argument. Last I checked bars, restaurants and casino’s make $0 to very little off of cigarette’s and cigars. Ever buy a drink in Stogeez? Twice as much as any other bar DT. Another would be for the state to sell ‘smoking licenses’ $10,000 a year. If you think having smoking in your establishment helps business, put your money where your mouth is.