Pete smoked for 45 years and quit 7-8 years ago.
If Pete steps foot in The Spot, then he hasn't really quit, has he?

Pete smoked for 45 years and quit 7-8 years ago.
If Pete steps foot in The Spot, then he hasn't really quit, has he?![]()
Give it a rest, it's the mans private club, his house, his rules. You can choose to join or not so make a decision & live with it. Nobody likes a whiner.
Are you familiar with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"? First obvious thing that jumped to my mind, thinking about good things that have resulted from people not 'minding their own business'.
I understand our 'freedom of choice' perspective, but when your choices have negative impact on others, those choices are no longer 'free'.
As the great poet nik hexum said:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law
Until you violate the rights of another
Respect the space of your sister and your brother
Are you familiar with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"? First obvious thing that jumped to my mind, thinking about good things that have resulted from people not 'minding their own business'.
I understand our 'freedom of choice' perspective, but when your choices have negative impact on others, those choices are no longer 'free'.
As the great poet nik hexum said:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law
Until you violate the rights of another
Respect the space of your sister and your brother
You don't have some god given right to play some place and it be exactly to your liking lol like any restaurant ,bar or store..if you don't like the environment don't go there. Leave it to the people who do and if not enough do that makes financially viable then they will change or close.
Choices...we all have them and they're all ours.
It's a common tactic by some to use an extreme case or story that surely almost never happens, to prove their case. In this case it's the poor unfortunate that's never made a choice on their own free will and is forced by us (society) to do something they don't want to do, or keep them from doing something they want to do. These people would have us all believe that we have a greater impact on an individuals lives than the individual themselves. This must be why these people think they should make the choices for everyone else.
NEWS FLASH: JOBS DON'T GROW ON TREES FOR ANYONE!
But instead of addressing the real problems of limited, low paid, low skilled work and upward mobility...all improving ones available choices, the answer is remove someone else's choice so that someone else can be more comfortable with their lack of choice.
In essence, the so called helping hand doesn't pull one out of their hole, it only keeps them there so that they feel more comfortable about it and becomes dependent on the hand. This keeps them from ever getting out of the hole and standing on their own two feet. This mindset then gets passed on to next generations and perpetuates a whole class of people living in a hole, dependent on the hand and another class of people feeling guilty about it. Why, that sounds like a perfect way to manipulate and rule a large populace, doesn't it? LOL
Inalienable rights? Seriously?!
And the people who do not want to breathe smoke? It is ok to impose that on them?
Choices...we all have them and they're all ours.
It's a common tactic by some to use an extreme case or story that surely almost never happens, to prove their case. In this case it's the poor unfortunate that's never made a choice on their own free will and is forced by us (society) to do something they don't want to do, or keep them from doing something they want to do. These people would have us all believe that we have a greater impact on an individuals lives than the individual themselves. This must be why these people think they should make the choices for everyone else.
NEWS FLASH: JOBS DON'T GROW ON TREES FOR ANYONE!
But instead of addressing the real problems of limited, low paid, low skilled work and upward mobility...all improving ones available choices, the answer is remove someone else's choice so that someone else can be more comfortable with their lack of choice.
In essence, the so called helping hand doesn't pull one out of their hole, it only keeps them there so that they feel more comfortable about it and becomes dependent on the hand. This keeps them from ever getting out of the hole and standing on their own two feet. This mindset then gets passed on to next generations and perpetuates a whole class of people living in a hole, dependent on the hand and another class of people feeling guilty about it. Why, that sounds like a perfect way to manipulate and rule a large populace, doesn't it? LOL
To ensure that I am not further misunderstood, I am 100 percent for personal responsibility and for advancement based on merit. My comments have not once suggested that regulation or public assistance should be applied in this context. I completely agree that, legally, at least in most jurisdictions, rooms that allow smoking are entitled to do so. I also completely agree that those who don't want to play in rooms that allow smoking can and should simply not go there. My only points have been these: (a) I thought that The Spot might like to know that, due to its smoking policy, it has lost at least one more potential customer in addition to those who already may have spoken up, (b) the percentages of smokers/non-smokers is such that I suspect that many room owners who permit smoking may, in fact, be acting against their economic self-interest, and (c) I would commend any room owners who voluntarily take measures (choose) to change their policy and provide a smoke-free workplace for their employees, at least some of whom, I think, we must presume to be thoughtful citizens who made a responsible choice to take a job in a smoking establishment (meaning all of the pros, for them, outweighed all of the cons, for them) but would prefer to avoid the exposure and would be at less health risk absent the exposure. That's all. No other points, so kindly do not attribute them. As for choices, I've just made one to make this my last post on this forum on any matter of opinion, as it would seem pretty clear that these kinds of discussions just don't stay on point. I should have known better than to have blithely assumed otherwise. I weighed in only because I think the sport is a wonderful one and that its future survival/growth would be well served to move away from an association with smoking.
That all sounds fair enough to me and I did in true political form attribute points you did not actually make. Your stance is now more clear, and I think you actually agree with point smokers are trying to make here, but it's not something you'd choose for yourself and you'd like to see other like minded folks more supported in the cause. That's understandable. This is what discussions can produce, and while not always easy or fun, I think they are absolutely necessary. Technology/internet has dehumanized us all in ways, so I must admit we're pretty much all guilty of less than optimal social skills these days. This makes these things all the more difficult...I don't think this is coincidence. I wouldn't use this thread as a reason to no longer engage with people on such topics and I'd encourage you to reconsider.
I don't know how many states still allow smoking. I believe it's a very small minority now but I could be mistaken. Seems like forever since I seen such a place on the east or west coasts. What I am sure of, however, is that pool is suffering badly in all regions whether they allow smoking or not. For someone who loves the game, I think it's counterproductive to publically criticize an establishment that is doing nothing illegal and doesn't force anyone into their establishment or partake in their activities. That includes employees.
As a smoker, I understand and sympathize with the people who don't, as I don't smoke in my own home and try go out of my way to keep it my business only when out in public. But people will still ride that high horse and tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing, and these days of public shaming to influence thoughts and steer an outcome is not only ridiculous, it just isn't how grown folks should act. It's definitely not manly. Pool is a gentleman's game.
I cant stand smoke either but you are barking up the wrong tree here. The pool demographic might have the highest percent of smokers of any other demo. So many of "US" are older than water (ala the Fuscos) and come from a time when smoking was the norm. We use to smoke on Airplanes for Gods sake no matter who was sitting next to us. It's gonna be another 8-10 years before you can think about winning this battle - without help from the government as in NY
Actually, polls on here in the past have showed about 75% of AZ is non-smokers.