Quote Originally Posted by cormacmacguardhe
I need to add, government rules and laws that force people to do things that polite people would do anyway. Here in Washington state they just passed a new law about smoking. There is now no smoking within 25 feet of the door of any building. No smoking in bars or resturants. I am not a smoker, do not like the smell of cigarette or cigar smoke, but really who comes up with these arbitrary rules, why 25 feet, why not 20 or 50? Where is the logic?
Out here where I live the only place open after 10PM is the local bar, it is a converted church, called the "Holy Smoke." Other then that nothing moves out here after 10PM except maybe some wildlife.
Agreed. I may smoke a pipe, but I don't smoke at restaurants or at bars because I try to be polite. I don't like that the government has rules about such things because if it is a law I feel it takes away a bit of freedom, and you are right. People should think about it as a simple matter of courtesy.

It's just like smoking in my home. If there is even a single non-smoker visiting I make sure that he/she truly doesn't mind before anyone is allowed to light up.

I guess a lot of our gripes do tend to boil down to a general lack of courtesy in our society.