Yes. In my years as a waiter I had hundreds of tables move because they were scared to be within 50 feet of anyone who may have been smoking.

Unfortunately, they're not going to be honest. Honesty and the public health movement are practically incompatible.
Nate | Homepage | 09.04.07 - 7:36 pm | #

There MIGHT BE SMOKING OUTSIDE THE THEATHRE!!!!!1one

Ugh.

Bethesda makes me sad. Good movie theatre though.
Dog's New Clothes | 09.04.07 - 8:53 pm | #

I think you are pretty close, the main proponents of smoking bans probably are concerned about peoples health, but the bans pass because so many people hate the smell. Which leads me to wonder, with all the Billions of dollars involved, why haven't Philip Morris and RJR been able to invent a cigarette that isn't so damn nasty?
z | 09.04.07 - 9:03 pm | #

My take on this, which MIGHT shed some light (or piss people off, who knows).

As far as I'm concerned, a property owner should be able to do or allow whatever the hell he wants on his property.

I think the government would have a MUCH more legitimate case in banning smoking on sidewalks, in parks, etc, etc.

I lived in NYC at the time the ban there went into effect. I worked on Wall Street. The week after the ban, I couldn't walk down the sidewalk from the Subway to my office, or out to lunch, without holding my breath. Basically, every office building in lower Manhattan had 20-30 people standing outside the front door smoking at all times. And in a place like NYC, when citizens can't walk down the sidewalk, that's an issue when the bulk of citizens have at LEAST a several block walk as a portion of their commute, if not the bulk of it.

What it boils down to is that like it or not, and regardless of how radical your own personal brand of Libertarianism is, the facts are that the government owns the streets, sidewalks, parks, etc. In some cases, such as streets and sidewalks (at least sidewalks where they're used for "transportation" as they are in a place like NYC or DC), I think it's reasonable for the government to own/regulate them. Parks, perhaps not.

But the fact is that smoking/second hand smoke is an irritant at best to many people, and harmful to one's health at worst.

EVERYONE uses the sidewalks, etc, in a walkable community like Bethesda/Chevy Chase. Everyone does not/does not have to/does not have the right to go into any particular business. And that business should have the right to require smoking if they want to. But I find it reasonable to ban smoking on a sidewalk, in a park, etc.

Of course, I'll learn to fly before any municipality bans smoking on a sidewalk/in a park/etc while allowing it on private property.
Displaced New Orleanian | 09.06.07 - 7:26 pm | #