But truthfully, the reason I wish people would stop smoking is not from altruistic concern for them, and not for any personal fear - I just think it stinks. It's as foul as farting and has much less excuse.
Just stop, please.
If all it takes for you to "feel lucky" is not smoking, you live a naive life indeed.
Do you or do you not load extra bullets?
"It may be argued that this is news about an old and settled subject. And who cares about smoking anyway. But smoking is really a secondary issue. The primary issue is the integrity of science. This has no use-by date. When the processes of science are misused, even if for what seems a good reason, science and its practitioners are alike degraded."
Please stop smoking everyone.
Both of these things would naturally occur if drivers were not free externalize the significant costs of their personal choices.
Of course, these costs are really not "social" at all, as easily observed by reviewing the impact on surrounding neighborhood small businesses and property values in areas where inner-city freeways were erected in the 50s-70s, and then torn down again in the 90s or 00s. If you're interested in the pure social costs, there's always the increase of crime, in-cohesive communities, etc.
Cars aren't going anywhere, but that doesn't mean we should always optimize for them above all other concerns, though I agree that we should use more efficient (and less polluting) vehicles.
This is a bit off-topic on a discussion regarding second hand smoke -- my apologies.
Most people have no choice, because of how the entire country has chosen to invest in infrastructure. Which is to say, it has chosen not to.
American physical geography and sociopolitical geography forces car driving.
If the costs were not externalized, market and political forces would dictate changes in both personal choices and infrastructure investment.
I don't see the rational for abdicating responsibility for the choices in where we both live and work, as disclaiming responsibility for the externalities incurred by these choices ensures that a more optimum "sociopolitical geography" will not be reached.
You can walk up to a strange smoker and ask him for a light. Taking a smokebreak outside while there is a complete smoker outside turns strangers into friends.
Not anti-social at all - having a stick up your ass because you dislike smoking is.
There's the difference. We're in more developed nations where smoking is far less common now. You'd expect 3rd world countries to still be smoking.
And yes, I concede, it does bring people together. But drinking is a far better way to do that.
I don't have a stick up my ass because I absolutely hate the feeling of choking in disgusting smelly smoke.
Again - I don't dislike it for some wooly reason like I think it's "bad". I dislike it because it tastes horrible. It smells absolutely disgusting. It makes your clothes smell. Your kids cough. Choking isn't fun. (And this is just second hand smoke. I've never smoked personally).
Smoking has a bit of a culture - when you're smoking somewhere, and someone else is smoking, that's something you can physically talk to them about. You can saunter up to them and say "Virginia blend, eh? Never tried that" and you immediately have a conversation, provided they're not an asshole. It can be something that brings a group together: "Hey lets stop watching this movie and go outside and smoke." And it is very social: it's tough to NOT talk if you're just sitting around with some guys smoking. It can also just be something to do with your hands - for me, at least, it gets rid of the anxious foot-tapping or knuckle cracking and lets me just sit back and smoke and enjoy someone else's company.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that today we are caught up by "interactive distractions" rather than actual human interaction. Smoking socially changes that. </rant>
Agreed. Just like if you've both had a leg amputated, you have something in common and can also strike up a conversation. But it's not a good reason to purposely cut your leg off. That's probably why you believe smokers to be some of the most friendly people you know - because they have something in common with you.
Personally, most smokers I see around are pretty unfriendly.
Drinking is better for lowering the barriers to social interaction IMHO without making everyone smell horrible and choke. Also a bit healthier.
Also I'm sure it depends on where you live. In the UK the culture is very much anti smoking.
Plus just plain walking closely downwind of a smoker on the street is nasty. I have to pay visual attention to avoid getting a lungful of breathed-out smoke. Not fun.
I think it's more fair for the employees, which is why I support it; I don't find cigarettes to smell particularly bad. The only places where I miss it are little dives where cigarettes smell nicer than stale beer.
Anyway, to each his own. I do think smokers should be courteous in public even if most people don't find the smell offensive; waving a flaming stick around carelessly in a crowded place is dangerous.