I went to see the “Walkmen”:http://www.marcata.net/walkmen/ at the “Bowery Ballroom”:http://www.boweryballroom.com/newflash.html on friday and it was amazing.
We got there at 10PM (the doors opened at 9PM) the Walkmen weren’t to go on until 12AM! Holy christ mother bitch! I said to myself, I don’t want to sit in some dank smokey lounge beneath the ball room until the crappy cover bands get done making their terrible post-teen angst. Diane and I waited outside for a while wondering if there was somewhere else to go, but it was so cold and rainy we couldn’t stand being outside any more, so we went inside.
I remember being a smoker. I remember the numb sensation my teeth used to get when I drank, that could only be quenched by a cigarette. I remember the feeling of opening the cellophane on a new pack of cigarettes and pulling off the silver paper out to reveal 20 class A cigarettes. I remember how good cigarettes went with coffee in the morning.
*I was there.*
*I understand what it’s like to be addicted.*
*I smoked from the age of 16 until I was about 23.*
That being said people not smoking in bars is the best thing to happen to bars since I started drinking. Smokers come up with their little defenses, “I have the right to smoke”, “Beer is bad for you, but no one is making that illegal”, “It’s a bar! Cigarettes and beer just go together.”, “Cars give off more pollution than cigarettes, and I don’t drive!”
Yeah, but here’s the point, I don’t drive either and if I did drive, I would drive my car in a bar. I know New York is coming down on smokers hard. It’s an unfortunate fact that cigarettes are dangerous for smokers, but the really unfortunate fact is they are also dangerous for non-smokers who are just hanging out drinking a beer. I have nothing against smokers smoking themselves silly, as long as I don’t have to smell like an ash-tray the next day and eventually develop emphysema because of it.
bq. smoking kills more people than AIDS, murder, suicide, fires, alcohol, and all illegal drugs COMBINED! -CDC
Yes, if you are a smoker, it is pretty assured that you will eventually die as a result of it. The unfortunate part about smoking is that smokers will rationalize smoking until they either get diagnosed with lung cancer, get hooked up to a hose for the rest of their lives, or just die. Nobody deserves that, not even asshole smokers.
bq. 70% of smokers want to quit, but 3% of smokers who try to quit succeed. -CDC
We went down into the dank basement of Bowery Ballroom and to my surprise no one was smoking. The no smoking in New York City bars had gone into effect, the air was clear and I could not only breath, but enjoy myself for the 2 hours we had to kill. The two hours flew by the band came on and I enjoyed some, albeit late in the evening, jams.
The moral of this story, I hated going to see bands play, because I always felt like I was missing out on smoking. I always felt trapped in a smokey room, but now I feel more comfortable. I feel like I can go out again. I had forgetten that I have rights too. I’m sorry smokers for taking away your cigarettes, but you can always go outside.
Or, do me a favor and “quit.”:http://www.quitnet.com/
Comments
7 responses to “No Smoking”
Wahoo. Very well said. I'm in Phoenix, AZ and smoking is still allowed in bars and restaurants. Some are required to have separate non-smoking and smoking sections but you can't tell the smoke to stay on its side of the room…it drifts. I say the only way is to disallow the smoking in those places! Maybe more cities will follow suit now that NY has done it. Bravo!
Love the entry, well said.
I just told KDunk's little sis the same thing.
That smell kills me.
My aunt smoked her entire life until it killed her. When she died and they cleaned out her house, there were white spots on the walls where her clocks and bookshelves were. The exposed parts of the walls were yellow.
Ahhh, Ben.
What a witty non-smoker you are.
I remember when you were just a weee lad tryin' to kick the habbit. We had NicFits together. Now I "only smoke when I drink," so now what?
Oh, Joe I remember the days, talking in orange plastic chairs with beers and Parliament Lights hopping the sun would forget to rise. They were some of my fondest memories, but eventually I had to draw a line. I promised myself after college to quit. It took a few tries, but eventually I kicked the addiction. (fingers crossed)
My only advice on quitting is never look at starting to smoke again, when your quitting, as a failure to quit, think of it rather as the process of quitting. The more times you try to quit, the closer you get to quitting. Just because you have the urge and smoke a cigarette, doesn't mean that you trying to quit is over and your effort was in vain. It's just like playing an instrument, the more you try the easier it gets.
Amen to the post and all the above.
Very nicely done.