Taking it outside Restaurant owners hope patios will lure back smokers

The Boston Globe ^ | 8/22/03 | Sasha Talcott

[HEY4QDEMS]

A year ago, a typical weekday afternoon at the Hyde Park Pub would have meant dozens of construction workers lined up along its horseshoe-shaped bar, watching "NYPD Blue" reruns on the television propped up in the corner or waiting for a turn at the pool table.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Retail sales are off more than that. It's the economy in Boston that has just about everyone's business hurting. Laundries and dry cleaners -- any 'luxury' service is hurting. Eating dinner out is a luxury for many people.

These numbers are in comparison to business figures before the ban took effect which was only a few months ago.
The Boston economy has been soft for about 3 years now but the bars and restaurants have seen some declines in business in that time but nothing remotely like the drop off that resulted from the smoking ban.

[Conspiracy Guy]

The war is just beginning. I've been thinking about quitting but I enjoy it and I'm in excellent health. I stopped for 2 years a few years ago. I wouldn't stop right now for anything.

[Publius6961]

I honestly believe that a suit would ultimately be successful to ban all these arbitrary and capricious laws based on fraud.
If a "vote" is all it takes, I want to ban ugly women, fat people, smelly people, butches, gays and other undesireables.
Bring the vote on.

Or ban tobacco entirely.

[Alberta's Child]

No. They will move to make the entire state smoke free so as to remove any advantage a neighboring city might have.

Ironically, so many of these smoking bans have sprung up in the Northeast -- the part of the country where a state-wide ban is least effective because the states are so small and many people can cross to a bordering state relatively easily.

New Jersey was contemplating a state-wide smoking ban earlier this year, but bars and restaurants along the Hudson River began seeing such a huge boom in business as a result of New York City's smoking ban that the impact of a smoking ban was indisputable. As a result, they passed a state-wide smoking "ban" that is largely ineffective.

[Roughneck]

I really feel for the owners that are hurting


I know they are, and it's a bad thing that I must refuse to enter any bar/rest that bans a leagl substance/activity.

BTW isn't there some commerce law that can be cited? Dont these bans cause loss of income?

[Go Gordon]

Why can't there be bars for smokers, with all employees being smokers, and bars for non-smokers with non-smoking help? Same with restaurants.

Actually, they can all get around the laws, if they become private clubs. What does that take? Simply filling out a form to join. You don't even have to charge money. Just go private, lick many country clubs, and voila...smoke em if you got em.

[Gabz]

but bars and restaurants along the Hudson River began seeing such a huge boom in business as a result of New York City's smoking ban that the impact of a smoking ban was indisputable.

Also the bars and restaurants around the Delaware River following the smoking ban in Delaware.

[Roughneck]

The war is just beginning. I've been thinking about quitting but I enjoy it and I'm in excellent health

I've been smoking since 1970. I am also in excellent health, so is everyone that had to tolerate my "second hand smoke".

Most of the claims about smoking are overblown. There can be lung canceremphysema without having smoked a day in your life and some who've smoked for years live well into their 90's (my family large % of smokers, larger % of those who have lived to late 90's and one old uncle who lived to 101!)

[StriperSniper]

Gnatzies

Hmmm....I like that.

It's a good fit for those control freaks that are more dumb and annoying, rather than hard core evil(like Hitlery ;-).

[Gabz]

I know they are, and it's a bad thing that I must refuse to enter any bar/rest that bans a leagl substance/activity.

Before we left Delaware I woulld still occassionally tyr to patronize some of the places where the owners had fought against the ban, plus I knew all of the places that are not enforcing it.

There was one place we hung out in all the time and the owner worked really hard against the ban and with me doing rallies and getting media attention.

Then the restaurant association convinced him to work with them to get the bars and casinos included in the ban. I went back in there only once after the ban passed - and that was the night before it went into effect - to personally tell him why he had lost my patronage.

I don't know about commerce laws, but yes the bans do cause loss of income.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Yeah I started in 70 too and come from a long line of old smokers living into 90's. When I think about quitting it's the money not my health. Im 49 3/4 and much healthier than the average 35 year old American Male Non-Smoking Couch Tater.

[Gabz]

Actually, they can all get around the laws, if they become private clubs.

We looked into that in Delaware. It is next to impossible to do it.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Glad you like it. This is one of may smoke gnatzie taglines. Feel free to use the term give me credit if you like. A lot of pro smokers use it since I invented it and it makes me proud every time.

[Sunshine Sister]

Sure hope it's cooler in Boston. We set a new record temperature here yesterday. 107 degrees with the heat index at 115. No way I'm sitting outside for any reason!

[Roughneck]

Im 49 3/4 and much healthier than the average 35 year old American Male Non-Smoking Couch Tater.

LOL! add ten years to that number and ya got me! I think it's lifestyle and moderation - not particular habits that brings long life.

[OldPossum]

I've never been a smoker but after a brief period of opposing smoking it occurred to me that smokers have rights, too. Consequently, I have no objections to people smoking around me.

This sounds so typical of Massachusetts, the ultimate in regulatory states. I feel sorry for bar and restaurant owners who are bearing the brunt of this silliness, but there is a silver lining: Boston's government likely is experiencing a decrease in sales tax revenue.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Some people are predisposed to be unhealthy. Most of us are victims of how we choose to live life.

[Publius6961]

Why can't there be bars for smokers, with all employees being smokers, and bars for non-smokers with non-smoking help? Same with restaurants.

Cuz the controllers would have a hissy-fit.

Just the idea of being unable to control everybody would freak them out.

[Beck_isright]

"I spoke with an area bar manager; he said there will be a fire sale of bars next Feb. and March. The local owners will get out, and the corporate, connected folks will move in scooping up places at bargain prices."

Same here in Florida. They said that the snowbirds who have been coming here for years and smoking in their favorite restraunts are going to freak out. They expect 20% of the combination bar/restraunts to go belly up next year. The stand alone bars which have quit serving food however are booming as they allow smoking inside.

[CSM]

Who are you?