Job Discussion Forums

[grahamb]

An ex-colleague has informed me that smoking in public places has been banned. Given the Spanish passion for the weed, the new legislation must have them fuming, albeit not in public places.
I wonder how Hector Lector is coping.

[Spainish]

On the contrary! It was banned in office buildings (yes, before you could smoke at work) and certain public places depending on the size of the place etc. Basically, many restaurants, bars and clubs still allow smoking or have designated smoking areas. More importantly, as they are considered "open air", you can still smoke at bull rings and soccer stadiums etc. Besides, what would a "corrida" or "partido" be without a fine cigar!

[Moore]

It isn't really "many" bars and restaurants that permit smoking: it's almost every single one. I've come across three so far (and I do go out a lot)...

Now what I've noticed is that many more people seem to be smoking in the street instead of in the comfort of their office: you actually have to pop indoors now for a breath of fresh air.

My 30-something students tell me that it was very common for high school teachers to smoke during class when they were at school, and another even managed to claim that the smoking rules were anti-family as now he isn't always able to take his four year old kid to bars with him on the weekend.

Until they raise the price of ciggys, nothing's going to change: it's so cheap to smoke here it's almost rude not to.

[Iam]

Same as what I've noticed ... seems to be little/no odium attached to smoking in restaurants etc.

Smoking seems to be de rigeur in Spain, & Europe generally, from what I've experienced, anyway.

For a Spanish example, only place you can buy postage stamps (other than an office of the Post Office - & good luck finding them) is in a tobacconists.

Iam.

[Hector_Lector]

Spain has given bars (the smaller ones) the choice - smoking or not smoking. Most have chosen the former.

Non-smokers can now go to their own bars and fume (metaphorically) into their orange juices about the unfairness of it all. Meanwhile, we smokers can carry on having fun.

It�s going to be a different story in Scotland when a full-scale ban is imposed in March. I wouldn�t like to be in the shoes of the anti-smoking inspectors.

Given the quality of the air in Madrid, I can�t imagine that a bit of smoke is going to make any difference.

Whining non-smokers who are working here illegally should shut up - they are not contributing to the Spanish health service. I pay twice - once through my income tax, and once through my tobacco tax.

grahamb will be happy to know that I am doing fine. I rarely come into Madrid, and the bars I frequent are civilised and smokey.

[grahamb]

Hector's right about the air in "Madrith" - approaching the city by road you can't miss the brown dome that protects it from all that clean mountain air. Glad to hear our Spanish correspondent is fine, by the way.
I'll say one thing for Spanish bars - being family-oriented places, they are far less prone to eruptions of violence than drinking dens in the UK.
A smoking ban in Scotland??? Whatever next? A lying ban in the Parly?

[Moore]

There's been one really dodgy side effect of all this smoking: smells. Go to Triskells Irish pub where they've banned it in the main upstairs bar and you're exposed to the pong of their gents toilet wafting up the stairs- damn shame as they're one of the only bars with draught Stella

[CharlesTESOL]

I prefer taking a city bus instead of the Metro because of all the smokers in the stations, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Here in Barcelona people still puff away right beneath the no-smoking signs. The most blatant non-observance was the time I saw a few people huddled together on one end of a platform smoking and talking. They put the cigarettes out before entering the train but then put on official Barcelona Metro aprons with no-smoking symbols on them -- and they then began passing out fliers outlining the Metro system's no-smoking policy!

[Hector_Lector]

Bars invaded by the stink of toilets - the revenge of the smokers!

[grahamb]

Careful Hector - it won't be so easy to mask the stench (not a word you hear very often these days) from your farting dog in future!
Charles is right about the Metro. Bank staff are equally guilty. Wouldn't have happened in Franco's time; you only got a cigarette prior to an appointment with the firing squad. That reminds me of a beautiful line from Fawlty Towers: "You have rats in Spain, don't you... Or did Franco have them all shot?"

[Hector_Lector]

The banking unions signed a special deal years ago, sacrificing other benefits in order to retain the right to smoke.

The farting dog is not that stinky.

[Moore]

Have just realized: this means you won't be able to smoke cigarettes and other exotic herbs at the swimming pool any more...

[Hector_Lector]

Apropos of nothing...

Man - Do you smoke after sex?

Woman - I don�t know, I�ve never looked.

[grahamb]

In a similar vein...
Man 1: Do you talk to your wife during sex?
Man 2: Only if there's a phone next to the bed.

[Moore]

This morning I saw a bloke going to work with a stack of books under one arm, a a cigarette in his other hand, which was in a SLING. These people really do love their smokes.