Go see a "rural" Irish pub while you can!
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I love it when my lopsided, baseless opinions gather some grit. Of course, who doesn't? Smoking bans--I hate 'em. Not from the perspective of smoking (it's been over a year and a half since I last puffed upon a sweet, sweet Marlboro light), but from the angle of freedom. I’m of the capitalist persuasion in my view of smoking bans and always thought to myself "Sure, smoking is bad and people hate it...so the businesses should see the financial incentive in making their bars smoke-free, and that will be that, right?" or “Business that continue to allow smoking will see their numbers drop, because clearly there’s billions of people who absolutely cannot tolerate cigarette smoke, right” It always annoyed me that the self-righteous couldn't not be bothered to let capitalism take its course or--simply--refuse to go to a bar/restaurant that allows smoking. "Let's get legislation passed". Oh yeah--government involvement always makes things good, with absolutely no side affects. By the way, how are the reservations and their ancient traditions doing these days, Chief Hot Slots Blackjack? Anyway, I was as elated as I was saddened to see, not one but two stories on my RSS sidebar this morning that involved business and tradition being f*^*ed in the @$$ by smoking bans: Irish Pubs, and Belgian Restaurants/Cafes. The Irish--the eternal experts on going at things in a level-headed and sober manner--decided to completely ban smoking in every building except your own home. And I think they were "reviewing" outdoor smoking. Changing habits threaten Irish country pubs Recent figures suggest that many rural pubs are shutting their doors, their owners selling up and moving out. One report put the figure at a pub closing every day. ... Publicans point to three main factors for dwindling trade in rural areas. One is the smoking ban which was introduced three years ago. While many, such as health campaigners, view it as a success, many pub owners say it has damaged their trade. To me, it's like the "Wal-Mart" argument. The people in rural areas get screwed so that urbanites can get a smug sense of self-satisfaction. It hits me close because Wisconsin has bars in a similar tradition: it's a cross-generational social hub--a second family, really. Legislation has repeatedly come up (and been shot down thus far, thank deity-of-choice) to ban smoking in taverns. I'd hate to see the same traditions die but, apparently, if it works for New Yorkers it must work for the whole world, right? Lower turnover because of smoking ban BRUSSELS – The smoking ban that has been in effect since the beginning of this year has had mainly a negative impact on restaurants and cafes near the border with the Netherlands. Businesses in municipalities like Maaseik are seeing more and more customers cross the border to the Netherlands where smoking is still allowed in the hospitality sector. I don't know anything about the Belgians, unless you count arcane insight into their waffle-making style—vis-à-vis IHOP--as "knowledge". I simply thought it was cute that the impact on their economy |
