Belgians ban smoking at last (probably)

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/962/Gezondh...naf-2014.dhtml

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuw..._smoking%2Bban

On Dec 5, 8:03*am, Benito Berlusconi wrote:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/962/Gezondh...1037748/2009/1...

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuw..._smoking%2Bban

There's no question about it, but they thoroughly messed it up first
time round.

Part of the trouble is that most pubs in Belgium don't look like the
****-holes I've seen elsewhere, ie they can easily be mistaken for
decent restaurants.

The other part of the problem was the "exemptions" . Something
about..; you can escape the smoking restrictions if you don't provide
french fries;.. or you don't own a cat, or your parents are either
dead, or under 102 years old; or you have ****ty taste in wallpaper.
OK, so I _might_ have made up those last three, but that's the point.
No one really seems to know; Except that where smoking is permitted,
there seems to be no requirement to set aside a non-smoking section.
This means you walk in, see someone smoking in a corner and choose a
table as far a way from them as possible. Then, just as you're about
to tuck in, someone on a table next to you will, having just finished,
signal to the waiter who will, in a suspicious manner, slide over
producing an ash-tray.
I asked the proprietor of a Bistro, how am I supposed to be able to
choose between places; Even he wasn't sure what the rules really were,
but having just subtlety delivered an ash-tray to the fat bloke just
in front of me the only bit of information he could rely on was that
the authorities never bother to check any way.

When out on a day out, one has to be quite prepared with a lunch box,
or when the hunger sets in, one has to go from post to pillar looking
to see if it's a 'cafe' or a restaurant and if food is served, what is
it in relation to smoking restrictions. And that's without knowing the
full list.

And in the end, we've ended up going home early.

aquachimp wrote:
On Dec 5, 8:03 am, Benito Berlusconi wrote:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/962/Gezondh...1037748/2009/1...

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuw..._smoking%2Bban

There's no question about it, but they thoroughly messed it up first
time round.

Part of the trouble is that most pubs in Belgium don't look like the
****-holes I've seen elsewhere, ie they can easily be mistaken for
decent restaurants.

The other part of the problem was the "exemptions" . Something
about..; you can escape the smoking restrictions if you don't provide
french fries;.. or you don't own a cat, or your parents are either
dead, or under 102 years old; or you have ****ty taste in wallpaper.
OK, so I _might_ have made up those last three, but that's the point.
No one really seems to know;

[snip]

And in the end, we've ended up going home early.

I was surprised to discover via your post that Belgium didn't already
have such a ban. Far more revolutionary and/or obtuse countries than
they have had one for ages. They'll all be better for it now that
they've got one.

I live in France where they've had a smoking ban for almost two years
and I've been surprised by how well it was accepted from the start and
how well it has been observed since. It's wearing a little at the edges
these days though, in ordinary bars on TV football nights for instance,
when most attendees are smokers. I'm one. It's accepted by common
consent

But in most cases the air is smoke free and the ban doesn't bother most
smokers I know. They appreciate that their habit is noxious for those
around them. It's their personal choice but it isn't that of one's
neighbour. You can always nip out from a restaurant between courses if
you really must have a fag. Besides, it might help you smoke less if it
is freezing and you don't bother.

Sadly, it is freezing outside far too often in Belgium for my liking so
I, as a smoker, can appreciate what that will mean to my smoker
colleagues there, my best wishes to them. Look on the bright side
chaps, you would have smoked five cigarettes by the time the cheese
arrived, now there is no way you're going to go out in the north wind to
have one. What with the price of cigarettes, the universal financial
crisis and your lungs, this can only be a good thing.

On Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:39:42 +0100, "Lou Ravi"
wrote:


Sadly, it is freezing outside far too often in Belgium for my liking so

Fortunatelly you don't live in Scandinavia, even in Svalbard
(79°North) smoker go outside to smoke in temperatures not seen in ages
here in Belgium ;-)

Still, it's another 5 years before pubs will be smokefree in Belgium
:-(


Bye Maurice
--
Hamradio: ON4BAM http://www.on4bam.com/
Travelogues and Amateur radio
http://blog.on4bam.com/blog/

On Dec 5, 5:31*pm, Maurice ON4BAM wrote:
On Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:39:42 +0100, "Lou Ravi"

wrote:
Sadly, it is freezing outside far too often in Belgium for my liking so

Fortunatelly you don't live in Scandinavia, even in Svalbard
(79°North) smoker go outside to smoke in temperatures not seen in ages
here in Belgium ;-)

Still, it's another 5 years before pubs will be smokefree in Belgium
:-(

Bye Maurice
--
Hamradio: ON4BAM *http://www.on4bam.com/
Travelogues and Amateur radiohttp://blog.on4bam.com/blog/

I only go to pubs in the summer...then I can sit outside and
upwind....in the Winter they lose my money

"nick 'proud to be....whatever' griffin" a écrit
dans le message de
...
On Dec 5, 5:31 pm, Maurice ON4BAM wrote:
On Sat, 5 Dec 2009 13:39:42 +0100, "Lou Ravi"

wrote:
Sadly, it is freezing outside far too often in Belgium for my liking so

Fortunatelly you don't live in Scandinavia, even in Svalbard
(79°North) smoker go outside to smoke in temperatures not seen in ages
here in Belgium ;-)

Still, it's another 5 years before pubs will be smokefree in Belgium
:-(

Bye Maurice
--
Hamradio: ON4BAM http://www.on4bam.com/
Travelogues and Amateur radiohttp://blog.on4bam.com/blog/

I only go to pubs in the summer...then I can sit outside and
upwind....in the Winter they lose my money