[absolootezer0]

No excuses for the wait staff either. Drive round the back of an Outback some time and you will see half a dozen apron-clad types blazing away.

drive past the front of my bar and you'll likely see one of us bartenders and half a dozen customers out there (stupid smoking ban)

Any time your drink's empty and you wonder where they've gone...

we always inform customers when we're going out, most of them join us.

The next obvious question is - do they wash their hands upon returning at least?

yes. state law (at least here) requires it.

[relictele]

Just so I’m clear: I oppose any and all smoking bans for the usual private property and consenting adult reasons but especially because the bans are usually passed by bluenoses who haven’t been in a bar or restaurant in years.

Local bars are quite different from cookie-cutter restaurants with their canned intro lines and lame suggestive selling. Apparently this causes nicotine cravings in their early-20s complement of employees.

I did enjoy the Ohio smoking ban debacle in which they had no enforcement personnel and open defiance by many establishments. In true bureaucrat fashion they responded by threatening to withhold liquor license renewals.

[SJSAMPLE]

More than anything else, smoking is the “great equalizer”.

CEOs will hang out back with the janitorial staff and shop workers and shoot the shit while having a smoke.