The CA no-smoking law.

I'm 32 now and It's getting harder to remember a time before this law passed. "Smoking or Non Smoking" is a thing of the distant past. A question on another site got me thinking about this again and made me think of something burned into my memory, and will always remind me that CA (and a few other states now) are pretty unique for the no-smoking law.

When my band was on tour we were reminded pretty bluntly that not everywhere has the no smoking law. at a road-side greasy spoon in Kansas we walk in and the place is thick with smoke. Then the hostess has the nerve to ask if we wanted Smoking or Non Smoking.. whaaaa?!

We humored them and said Non Smoking. Which was just the other side of the room. No walls, no division at all other than the line in the floor tiles.

As we walked to our seat I caught the image I mentioned before, that's now burned into my brain. This gnarly overweight family chowing down on chicken fried steak and gravy. The mom and dad were shoveling in heaps of white greasy goodness with one hand and taking puffs between bites with the other. In front of each of them was their place setting, complete with plate, spoon, knife, napkin, coffee, juice, and right next that was a very unwashed ashtray.

shivers.

I dont nor have ever smoked but grew up with smokers. After experiencing that gruesome incident in Kansas, being in Chicago bars till 4am and having to donate my clothes that I wore to the homeless, and similar places throughout the country, I've come to really appreciate the law. smoking stinks.

on a side note I was in NY when they passed the no smoking in bars law.. it was winter and cold and there were hipsters in skimpy dresses and tight t-shirts freezing their balls off cursing Bloomberg. it was funny.