If you're an alcoholic, then the skies are still friendly. But if you smoke you may as well put on some rags and grab a bell.

"unclean...unclean..."

Yup, I sometimes like to smoke (*gasp*). I'm not going to go into reasons - if it needs justification, it's already wrong. The topic of todays rant is discrimination against smokers.

In recent years many cities have imposed anti-smoking laws on bars, costing them a fair bit of business. The government has no right to tell people how to run their businesses, especially when they allow their patrons to partake in a legal, and heavily taxed, act (Some suggest that sex in bars is illegal too...that's another rant). The penultimate example of this can be found at O'Hare airport.

I got to O'Hare where we were to catch our connecting flight. Having to go through a security check and knowing full well that it could take a while I wanted to leave plenty of time. Fine, I had three hours. Plenty of time to grab some food and relax with a cigarette and coffee.

There were no restaurants to be found.

You would think that such a large airport would have restaurants outside the secure area where one might relax and have some food. Wrong - there's one in the hotel, but that's it. No problem... "is there anywhere past the security check where we can eat and smoke?"

"No"

Funny... it's an awfully big airport.

At least they didn't say "yes" to that question like they did at another airport (even though they were incorrect). So here were the options: Sit outside in the cold and be able to smoke (with the security people ironically enough) or go inside and be able to eat (but not smoke for three hours...plus the flight time). I was pretty hungry so there was no choice but to go through the security check (this time I got to be the "random spot check"- FUN FUN FUN!) and eat something.

Inside the security check there were numerous vendors who sold packs of cigarettes which you were more than welcome to purchase and look at while you waited for your smoke-free flight. They could make a fortune selling nicotine gum and patches if they were enterprising enough.

The bars were packed with people drinking beer and watching football on television. But for those who wanted to sit with a good book, coffee, and a cigarette - nothing.

Well, I got some food and indulged in an uncannily good bannana split. Yet still, I was rather put out. It's not the place of local governments to coddle people. If they're stupid enough to smoke, then they should be allowed to do so, and good riddance. I doubt that the restaurants within the airport were smoke-free of their own choice.

But there we were, patrons and restaurants alike, forced to bend over or go elsewhere -which is exactly what I was waiting to do (go elsewhere - not bend over, smartass).

Eventually I got my flight (after another random security check at the gate - this time my travelling companion. Apparently they aren't thorough enough the first time. ) and went on to the next airport (which DID have smoking sections in the restaurants).

...Mind you, that was a GOOD bannana split

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