[Vision2020] Washinton's smoking ban -- a personal experience

[AreaMan (DanC)]

Last night, for the first time in many moons, my wife and I went out
with another couple to celebrate their anniversary (without kids, for a
change).  It was a nice evening, with dinner at Sangria.  Seemed like
everyplace was busy (probably due to winter graduations), but we managed
to get a table relatively fast.  

After dinner, we thought about catching some live music somewhere in
town.  Nobody really wanted to sit in a smoky bar, though.  Then someone
had the brilliant idea (okay, I'll take the credit since I'm the one
writing about it) that we should head on over to Pullman and see what we
could find, since smoking is now banned in the bars.  

We headed over to Rico's, my first time there.  You could still smell a
little bit of smoke in the walls, but that is understandable.  The
kicker is that there was no smoke in the air!  We had a few drinks, shot
a little pool, and waited for the music that never happened -- musta
been a dead week/finals week thing.

Anyhoo, before this evening the libertarian in me would not have wanted
to do anything to legislate anyone's choice to suck on the coffin nails.
But afterwards, I have to come down on the same side as Mark Solomon.
I'd rather spend my beer money in Moscow and be able to walk home, but
the way the laws sit now I will more than likely make arrangements for a
driver to and from Pullman where I can enjoy some good brew and shoot
some pool without coming out smelling like an ashtray.  I bet the bar
employees enjoy their jobs a little more.  I know I would have back in
my days as a bouncer at the North 4-D had smoking been banned.

Maybe this is something we can do locally?  Maybe this is a plank in my
07 platform?  hmmmm . . .

Wheels are turnin'

DC