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My husband is doing a contract in Charlotte now and I could not BELIEVE they still allow smoking in a lot of the restaurants. We ate at Olive Garden in Gastonia a couple weeks ago, and as soon as we walked in we were blasted by a a cloud that wafted over from the smoking section that is right by the front door and BTW the "waiting" area for people to be seated. I honestly have not been to a restaurant in about 10 years in the US that still allows smoking. Why is North Carolina behind the times on this??/
My husband is doing a contract in Charlotte now and I could not BELIEVE they still allow smoking in a lot of the restaurants. We ate at Olive Garden in Gastonia a couple weeks ago, and as soon as we walked in we were blasted by a a cloud that wafted over from the smoking section that is right by the front door and BTW the "waiting" area for people to be seated. I honestly have not been to a restaurant in about 10 years in the US that still allows smoking. Why is North Carolina behind the times on this??/
Because NC, for now anyways, believes in the RIGHTS of PRIVATELY OWNED ESTABLISHMENTS! You had THE RIGHT to go to another restaurant. No one held a gun to your head to eat at Olive Garden. Since when do your rights impede on the rights of others? Cigarettes are a LEGAL commodity in the United States and until they are prohibited, your NANNY government should not and can not infringe on the rights of property owners!!
My husband is doing a contract in Charlotte now and I could not BELIEVE they still allow smoking in a lot of the restaurants. We ate at Olive Garden in Gastonia a couple weeks ago, and as soon as we walked in we were blasted by a a cloud that wafted over from the smoking section that is right by the front door and BTW the "waiting" area for people to be seated. I honestly have not been to a restaurant in about 10 years in the US that still allows smoking. Why is North Carolina behind the times on this??/
Can you say Phillip-Morris?
Wikipedia - On January 27, 2003, Philip Morris Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. Even under this new name, Altria continues to own 100% of Philip Morris USA. Some view this name change as an effort by Altria to deemphasize its historical association with tobacco products.
In the fall of 2003, Philip Morris USA (abbreviated PM USA) moved its headquarters from New York City to Richmond, Virginia .
Philip Morris USA Inc. home offices and facilities include headquarters, manufacturing, processing and support facilities in the Richmond, Virginia area; a manufacturing facility in Cabarrus County, North Carolina; a materials conversion plant in Louisville, Kentucky; sales offices crisscrossing the U.S.; and an office in The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
<Opps Majic should be Magic>
Last edited by Keith "Baby-Face" Lutz; 12-21-2007 at 01:00 PM..
Reason: spelling
Ohh - Spoken like a guy who is building an underground fortress, and hording canned goods. Ha-ha, just kidding!
uuuhhhh, ever heard of the Constitution? The right to practice legal habits on your property is of the most basic American rights. You may like Nanny telling you how to operate your property (home or business), what to consume in your body, or refuse your right to bear arms, but I cherish my freedom and will fight for it.... not kidding.
I would like to ban the dirty air that is created by people smoking cancer sticks. If the air outside had that much pollution, everybody would be talking about it.
Because NC, for now anyways, believes in the RIGHTS of PRIVATELY OWNED ESTABLISHMENTS! You had THE RIGHT to go to another restaurant. No one held a gun to your head to eat at Olive Garden. Since when do your rights impede on the rights of others? Cigarettes are a LEGAL commodity in the United States and until they are prohibited, your NANNY government should not and can not infringe on the rights of property owners!!
Spoken like a smoker! What about the right to breath clean air indoors that is not polluted with nicotine and about 30 other toxins? As another poster pointed out- the decision by North Carolina to NOT pass the law to ban smoking in public places (like most states have) has more to do with greedy politicians that ANYONE'S rights. And before anyone brings it up, the number of jobs Phillip Morris provides is sorely outnumbered by the number of people that die of smoking related diseases each year. That is THEIR choice to smoke, NOT MINE. Therefore, since people are not born breating cigarette smoke, the RIGHT to breath "regular" air should be considered above and beyond anything else. I'm sick of smokers thinking they have MORE rights than everyone else.
Spoken like a smoker! What about the right to breath clean air indoors that is not polluted with nicotine and about 30 other toxins? As another poster pointed out- the decision by North Carolina to NOT pass the law to ban smoking in public places (like most states have) has more to do with greedy politicians that ANYONE'S rights. And before anyone brings it up, the number of jobs Phillip Morris provides is sorely outnumbered by the number of people that die of smoking related diseases each year. That is THEIR choice to smoke, NOT MINE. Therefore, since people are not born breating cigarette smoke, the RIGHT to breath "regular" air should be considered above and beyond anything else. I'm sick of smokers thinking they have MORE rights than everyone else.
Sorry to bust your bubble, lib, but I don't smoke cigarettes. And I don't care about Philip Morris any more than the next person does, and frankly I think it's beside the point.
What you fail to see is that the argument is not about smokers' rights, it's about private ownership. Why is it so hard for you to understand that cigarettes are LEGAL, and a restaurant is NOT PUBLIC PROPERTY? Prohibiting restaurant owners from allowing cigarette smoking in their establishments would be the same thing as telling individuals they cannot smoke in the privacy of their own home.
Let me ask you this question: If I smoked in my home, would you come over to visit? My guess is no because you would CHOOSE not to. The same thing goes for a privately owned restaurant, you can choose to eat some where else and breath another restaurants air.
So is there some sort of registry that tells non smokers where to avoid eating then? We were considering moving to Charlotte, but since finding out they are one of the few states left that has not banned it in places that serve the "public", I have no intention of even considering it.
I do understand that it's the right of the restaurant owners to decide whether their establishment should provide a smoking section, but they are serving the public, just like shopping malls etc.. As to whether something so disgusting should be "legal", I'm not one for political discussions, because noone ever wins. I always consider both sides of an argument without anyone else's help. Smoking, like drunk driving affects the lungs of everyone around, not just the person doing the smoking.
So is there some sort of registry that tells non smokers where to avoid eating then? We were considering moving to Charlotte, but since finding out they are one of the few states left that has not banned it in places that serve the "public", I have no intention of even considering it.
I do understand that it's the right of the restaurant owners to decide whether their establishment should provide a smoking section, but they are serving the public, just like shopping malls etc.. As to whether something so disgusting should be "legal", I'm not one for political discussions, because noone ever wins. I always consider both sides of an argument without anyone else's help. Smoking, like drunk driving affects the lungs of everyone around, not just the person doing the smoking.
A mall is a place where smoking is banned because people must access the stores through the common areas, "the mall." People have no alternate entry/exit therefore they would be required to walk through smoking if it was allowed.
Your attempt to dismiss the legality of smoking because it is political is superficial, for it is the crux of the matter. I always find it interesting that libs are more interested in feelings and not the facts, or rights in this case.
Smoking is not akin to drunk driving. Roads are a public commodity and a necessity and thus drunk driving is prohibited because it affects the safety of others. Restaurants OTOH are private interests and legal actions conducted within the premises bare no effect on the public, for the public has the right and choice to dine elsewhere.
Last edited by carolina_guy; 12-21-2007 at 02:38 PM..
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Puff the majic dragon
Ha-ha, just kidding!
