This morning, to celebrate the end of Big A's last semester of a full load of classes, we headed to Cracker Barrel (why he makes fun of Southerners yet loves this place for breakfast, I'll never know). We weaved our way through the "goods" to the hostess stand. Upon arriving, this conversation took place:
Hostess: Good morning. 2?
Me: Yes.
Murf waits for the next inevitable question: Smoking or non?
Hostess: Please follow me this way.
I had forgotten that as of yesterday, there is no smoking in restaurants in the great state of Michigan! I don't know which was stranger: that awkward silence where the question of smoking or non-smoking use to fall or sitting in the new non-smoking smoking section.
11 comments:
Wow. I would have thought Michigan would have gone non smoking before Oregon. In Oregon it took effect on New Year's Day 2009.
What I found even more depressing was that Alaska (The Last Frontier) went non smoking in July of 2007 while I was up there.
Personally I don't like that new law.
I am not a cigarette smoker. I smoke cigars when I can afford them.
I better stop before my non PC attitude jumps in.
Generally, I am against any sort of law against personal freedom but because this has health issues for those of us who don't smoke but still need to breath, I was in favor of the no smoking at ANY public place law that was passed here a couple years back. I still haven't gotten used to going into bars and coming out with eyes that aren't watering and clothes that don't feel like I just fought a week long forest fire. I hope I never lose the novelty of no smoking laws and I can't wait to hit those sushi restaurants when I come up to see you in a couple weeks.
P.S. I still haven't eaten at a Cracker Barrel.
Sotamies - You'll be happy to know that cigar bars are exempt. I don't know of any cigar bars but I have a feeling that they will now start popping up. Casinos are also exempt.
Ed - WHAT? You're coming here in a couple of weeks? If so, I'm going to have to do my sushi research (and learn to ingest it without vomiting). I know of one nearby that serves it on a conveyor belt - you sit at a bar and different types of sushi moves along the belt about an arm's length away.
I still think it's weird that non-smoking become a policy in North Carolina (a leading tobacco state) before Michigan!
As for cracker barrel, it's faux-southern.
Ed is coming to your neck of the woods? Gee, I might have to make a trip across the state.
Sage - Gee, the whole 2 hour drive?!? ;-)
See how much we love you, Ed. He might make that "long" drive and I just might risk vomiting on your shirt.
I tend to think that private individuals and business should be allowed to cater to whomever they wish. If people don't like the atmosphere (no pun intended) they can patronize a different restaurant.
As for the thirty questions one gets about seating preference, i.e. smoking, table v. booth, bar or dining room, I usually wind up asking for something in the "artificial limb, morally bankrupt" section.
Cheers.
I figured I would just stress you out a bit by telling you I might visit. I just haven't decided for sure yet.
Ed - Only you get stressed out. I get excited. Like Big A said, it's like a blind date. :-)
We're all visiting Murf now that MI is smoke free? that's what I'm getting out of all this, right?
TC - Yes! Multiple blind dates or one huge group blind date. I love it!
Ah, talk about a breath of fresh air.
Several of our cities went non-smoking over the past year or two. I don't think it's statewide yet, but it's in effect most everywhere I go. So I'm basking in the buffer zone, babee!
Oh, so now that I'm back from Ohio, the bloggers convention is taking place. I see how it is.
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