Koffkoff

November 27, 2005 in Just the tale, Pet Peeves

Just came back from dinner at a coffeeshop near my place, which was great because i love the food there, but unfortunately things like these have to happen once in a while, probably so that you’ll enjoy the place more when it doesn’t happen.

We sat at a table at which at one point of time an adjacent table became occupied with some smokers who were constantly blowing smoke in our direction, and in everyone else’s direction for that matter.

So the excellent venison on hot plate was accentuated by the occasional whiff of Marlboro Menthol Lite, visibly approaching us in our direction.  Kinda left me wondering when that law about “no smoking in public places such as bus stops and coffeeshops” is going to be implemented.

Let’s get this straight – i have nothing against smokers in general.  Some of my good friends are smokers.  Some of them are so nice that they actually make an effort not to smoke when i’m around (because i don’t smoke), or, failing which, they keep at a distance when they smoke and keep the smoke out of my personal space as much as possible.  One has even stopped smoking because of me.

What i have against is those smokers (specifically the ones i met at the coffeeshop) who have no regard for the people around them, and blow their cigarette smoke when they’re present in closely packed areas, unaware that other people are actually breathing in an assortment of nicotine, ash, and other chemical compounds that are scientifically proven to blacken your lung to the extent that you could probably mistake it for a giant lump of charcoal.  My personal opinion is that at the very least, you should be entitled to tell the person doing that (gently of course) that his smoke is disturbing people around him, but i doubt you’d get a civilised response in Singapore should you do that.  If you ask me, i honestly think you should have the right to extinguish the cigarette from afar with a high-pressure water-squirting device, thus making the smoker unable to continue, but i think that’s against the law. XD

At times like these, i really make no effort to show my discomfort with the smoke.  That earned me a few dirty looks from the smokers (who were evidently half-drunk) but i really didn’t care.  If you wanna live by the streets i’d gladly follow street rules, and i’d return the glare (which of course i didn’t because my family was there).  I’m sorry, but if it bothers me then it does, and in the sense of self-preservation to my lungs i would much rather express my discomfort (and disgust) rather than breathe in second-hand smoke and kill myself with brain cancer, lung cancer, throat cancer, nose cancer, nicotine addiction and who knows what other weird chemicals that are entering your bloodstream (which by now has probably become a regular BioChem Lab).

So shame on you, the specific quintet of smokers that i met at the coffeeshop who were blowing smoke around.  You give the nicer smokers a bad name.

And to the non-smokers, don’t start.  Take it from me, it stinks.