One of the things I have noticed over the past several years is the way smokers are treated.

Back in the service people smoked everywhere. From battalion headquarters down to the squad bays. Nobody complained. The EM, Officers and NCO clubs all permitted smoking. 

In the mid 70s the college classroom allowed students to light up. It was common to see ash trays in supermarkets, restaurants and of course, bars. Even most church halls had ash trays in them.

People lit up almost everywhere.

It didn't take long, only a few years for smokers to become pariahs and now you see them sneaking around outside in hidden nooks and crannies.

I recall several years ago touring a submarine and commented that I could picture the guys in it getting depth charged and that the cigarette smoke was likely so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Some hippie kid went agape and made some kind of comment. He said something uppity in reply. I grinned and told him not to worry as his entire mentality and attitude precluded him from submarine duty to begin with. (Submariners are psychologically evaluated for tolerance of other before they are even allowed to enter the program) The tour guide actually laughed outright when I said that. Apparently he was an old submariner.

Of course, the smokers that are outside away from everyone else are still subject to people coming up to them and harrassing them. 

Like most things, I figure that things sometimes go to far. 

The way I see it is that if a smoker has gone outside and around a corner to avoid bothering someone he ought to be left alone. He's been fair and done his part.

Anyone that follows him around the corner, chases him down  and takes issue of a person puffing away is a malicious person that is simply looking for trouble. They really deserve to find what they are looking so hard to seek.

People that maliciously track a smoker down like that ought to be rewarded for their efforts with a lungful of smoke blown in their face. That's what I'd do if I were in that position. Fair is fair and enough is enough.

I'm not writing this to get into health or social issues and take sides on this issue. It is just an observation of changes I have seen over time.

It is also an observation of those that insist on chasing people around looking for trouble. 

I used to hate people that went looking for trouble. Now I look forward to meeting them because it gives me someone deserving to take my hostilities out on.



To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY