No Smoking
Those words stare back at me from the seat back of the airline seat in front of me. Another warning glares above in the reminding me to buckle my safety belt. Of course I'm not going to smoke, I'm not a smoker – wouldn't dream of it! I do, however, remember a time when people did light up on airplanes –YES, right on airplanes!!! It seems almost unthinkable now. Children growing up today will have no idea of how it used to be. Going out to theaters and restaurants . . . well, anywhere . . . just about anyone and everyone was smoking. It was rolled back gently . . non-smoking sections were granted, non-smoking rooms, non-smoking locations like theaters, etc. became the norm. Non-smoking sections turned into smoking sections. Those shrank --- and are now regulated outside . . . most often within a designated area from normal traffic.
To me, the idea of smoking on an airplane seems as foreign an idea as standing up and singing the Finnish national anthem or doing a back-flip down the isle . . . or perhaps spitting. But wait! It wasn't so long ago that signs had to be put up in public places to remind people not to do such unsavory things such as spit. Now, of course, spitting still occurs (you in the rural South know that), but they no longer constantly post signs saying not to. I can only imagine how annoying this is to actual smokers!!! What if they posted “No Eating Doughnuts” everywhere? Wouldn't that just make you want to eat doughnuts? Just writing that makes me think about it. Damn elephant in the room!! People's minds are naturally contrarian. Put up a sign that says “Post No Bills” and you'll get not only signs, but graffiti.
Isn't it time to stop stimulating smokers like Pavlovian dogs to light up as soon as they get a chance?
Once the light switches off, I unbuckle my belt – just because I can.
Those words stare back at me from the seat back of the airline seat in front of me. Another warning glares above in the reminding me to buckle my safety belt. Of course I'm not going to smoke, I'm not a smoker – wouldn't dream of it! I do, however, remember a time when people did light up on airplanes –YES, right on airplanes!!! It seems almost unthinkable now. Children growing up today will have no idea of how it used to be. Going out to theaters and restaurants . . . well, anywhere . . . just about anyone and everyone was smoking. It was rolled back gently . . non-smoking sections were granted, non-smoking rooms, non-smoking locations like theaters, etc. became the norm. Non-smoking sections turned into smoking sections. Those shrank --- and are now regulated outside . . . most often within a designated area from normal traffic.
To me, the idea of smoking on an airplane seems as foreign an idea as standing up and singing the Finnish national anthem or doing a back-flip down the isle . . . or perhaps spitting. But wait! It wasn't so long ago that signs had to be put up in public places to remind people not to do such unsavory things such as spit. Now, of course, spitting still occurs (you in the rural South know that), but they no longer constantly post signs saying not to. I can only imagine how annoying this is to actual smokers!!! What if they posted “No Eating Doughnuts” everywhere? Wouldn't that just make you want to eat doughnuts? Just writing that makes me think about it. Damn elephant in the room!! People's minds are naturally contrarian. Put up a sign that says “Post No Bills” and you'll get not only signs, but graffiti.
Isn't it time to stop stimulating smokers like Pavlovian dogs to light up as soon as they get a chance?
Once the light switches off, I unbuckle my belt – just because I can.
