aimmaintenance

Seems funny to me that a guy kneeling down holding your plane while you warm it up a bit can get glow fuel all over his hands. Have the good ol nitro smoke blowing right at him and everythings cool. But the second he gets a tiny wiff of your cig then he raises the second hand smoke banner and complains that us smokers are taking the pleasure out of this hobby for him. I have only ever had one guy at our club try to discourage me smoking in the pits or on the flightline and I pretty quickly let him know that he may as well just get over it.

For all of you no smoking fanatics I only have a few comments.
1. Have you EVER,,, and I mean EVER,, heard of even ONE incidence where smoking was the cause of a fire or other accident in the pits?
Anybody with an ape like or better intelligence can manage their cig around fuels.

2. Guys. We are OUTDOORS! the quick whiff of smoke that you may get won't turn your lungs into a black mass of pudding and the smell will go away in seconds.

3. I'm certain that on a daily basis most everyone is exposed to something far more offensive than a few downwind whiffs of cig smoke so why all the fuss.

4. You are perfectly free to move to a different area upwind of me versus trying to tell me to accommodate you.

No I don't advocate smoking. I am just sort of tired of people acting like we smokers are some sort of inferior beast that can be told what to do and nonsmokers that think they have more of a say.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I recently sold the house that I lived in before I married my wife. One of the people who looked at it told the realtor, "I am allergic to cigarette smoke, so the owner will have to replace all of the carpeting"

I told the realtor, "Let me get this straight... He want's ME to pay for new carpeting because HE has a genetic disorder???"

Another time I was sitting in a restaurant with a young lady who (Referring to my cigarette) said to me, "You know, that's actually worse for me than it is for you because you're getting the filtered smoke and I'm breating it un-filtered." My reply was, "What the hell do you think I'M breathing???"

I wish stupidity was painful.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

"I wish stupidity was painful." If it was maybe more smokers would quit. [sm=bananahead.gif]

Bill Teller

I don't smoke ,never have , but it has never bothered me. If you health Nazi's don't allow smoking why do you allow anything but electric planes ( the exhaust from fuel burning is bad for you too) Pit fires? if you burn your plane up in the middle of of a field you did it to yourself rite?

BillyGoat

Hey there is that center of the universe attitude that comes up every time there is a smoker vs. non-smoker discussion.

What smokers will NEVER realize it how much a whiff of smoke takes the breath away of a non-smoker. Yep we are free to move to another area and nearly all the non-smokers you come in contact with do, without you ever realizing it.

Instead of getting on your high horse against the one or two percent of the people that actually confront you, why not say thank you to the other 98% for putting up with your nasty habit without saying a word?

Hill202

My Feedback: (24)

Countdown to thread lockdown...

crownvic

Liberalism is a MENTAL DISORDER

PLANE JIM

My Feedback: (109)

I once saw a statement about Beerdrinkers and their by-product was urine and something about smokers by-product was smoke, but I really do not remember the rest of the statement .

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The height of hypocrisy is for a militant anti-smoker to be directly involved with running gas, glow or diesel model airplane engines. Same goes for running gas powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed eaters, etc.....they aren't neccesities, my Grandfathers got along just fine without them.
Anti-tobacco Nazis: Lead by example and make sure you got all your stuff in order before going on any crusades. Your first step will be to either quit the hobby or go 100% electric.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

'fraid not. You see, to charge those batteries you have to plug them into a wall outlet, which is often powered by fossil fuels which pollute the air.

RC gliders are out because you can't charge your radio batteries either.

But here's something you can still have fun with

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The balsa glider looks perfectly harmless, but just think about all the hydrocarbons that were released chopping down and transporting that tree?
I don't enjoy the reek of tobacco, I think it stinks.......but until I give up ALL of my nasty [and totally unnecessary fuel burning habits], I've got no right to complain about a whiff of smoke outside at the flying field.

JimInCA

Yes, but a sizable portion of the debate is coming FROM the Moderators. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact.
And now on with the show for I for one will enjoy it until the lockdown
Jim...

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

So moderators who are volunteers and work for free on these forums for your enjoyment are not allowed an opinion?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Shut up Red!

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Don't make me lock this forum down Minn!!!!! [8D]

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

The flying field is one of the few places where I let myself smoke. If someone can't handle it... well, they could politely ask me not to smoke around them. And I could politely ask them to move away from me. Life is full of options.

People make this an emotional issue, especially those that have seen people they care about harmed by tobacco. It's not a rational reactionit's an emotional reaction. That doesn't invalidate it, but they should realize that the problem is their own, not the smokers'. Many arguments will be made about health, personal preferences, and whatever else someone cares to disguise their emotional response with. What it comes down to is merely a preference. I may not like the way a particular individual smells, but I can't very well ask him to move out of the pits, can I? He may choose to bathe or not bathe, and that's his choice to make. His odor is his choice, no? It's not my place to tell him what to do. If his proximity bothers me, I can move away. If he follows, I can ask him not to. That's what most of us would do, and I don't see smoking as being meaningfully different from that.

Smoking is not a rational activity. Smoking isn't in a smoker's best interestsbut you know what? A good many things we do aren't in our own best interests.

That said, smokers have a responsibility here, too. Picking up after themselves is one. Being courteous to others is another. Smoking isn't incompatible with either of those, no matter what some people might choose to believe.

fly boy2

I don't smoke and never will, but my dad did, I grew up with it and it really doesn't bother me, the only thing I really hate is the cig butts, If you smoke please don't throw them on the ground. I believe that most smokers not all, they wish they never started. Thats the same question my dad asked himself after he quit , his food tasted better, he didn't snore has bad. I don't mind if you smoke just don't drink around me ( thats another story ). I don't really think that cigs are a dangerous, but to be on the safe said is no smoking near fuel, I don't know of glow fuel but gasoline has to have an open flame to catch on fire, you can put out a cig if you throw gas on it or you throw it in the gas, sure it might happen but not likely

thats my 2 cents about the subject

KW_Counter

MikeL,
Very well put!!!
I am an ex-smoker with friends who do smoke.
Most are very courteous and I have to tell them not to run away with their cigarettes when I approach.
I enjoy their company and depend on their knowledge for my success in this hobby.
I enjoy their company and depend on their knowledge for my success in my job.
I will endure their smoke for this. Plus it is very easy to be on the down wind side of them.
I'm lucky, as I said; most are very courteous so I try to be courteous to them.
Makes life a lot easier and more fun!!!
KW_Counter

mtwister

I'm going to chime in here, and probably get ripped for it but here it goes anyways.

Smokers are the rudest people (without realizing it) ever. They ALL think that just because their outside that they should be able to smoke anywhere. These people sit in front of restaurants and grocery stores sucking down their cigs right in front of the doors that non smokers must walk through. Well let me just say thank you for ruining my appetite before I even sit down or buy my food. I have yet, ever had a smoker at the field ask me, do you mind if while we're 3 feet apart that I light up and blow smoke in your face? Along that lines, for the unoriginal people that say" well if you can't stand cig smoke, then you shouldn't fly spark ignition motors blah blah blah" Do you really think it's the same? No. Cig smoke is the most invasive, disgusting smell to a non smoker.

ALL smokers B&M that we don't respect their habits while their outside. Well duh, it still lingers, and it still stinks. It is a disgusting dirty habit that has absolutely, not a single positive outcome other than filling the bank accounts of doctors and politicians lobying for smokers rights and raising every single persons health insurance. I thank you for that, truly (note, please insert sarcasm here).

I grew up in a 98% smoker family. I am the only one in my entire family that doesn't, nor have I ever tried smoking. When my family b&m's about how their having to have a triple bypass heart surgery, or now Grandpa has emphazyma my response is "well, only you were in control of that"

As I said, I know this is offensive, but it's how I feel and it's not targeted to make people angry.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I started smoking in 1950 at the ripe old age of 12. Boy, were we a bunch of macho dudes. I quit in 1975 when I walked across the street from work one morning to refresh my supply of cigarettes. I discovered they had raised the price for a pack of Pall Malls to .50 a pack. Outrageous, I said to myself. I ain't gonna pay no 50 cents for a pack of cigarettes. I have not smoked a thing since that day even though my wife continued to smoke and most of my friends did too. I have attended many a poker game with six or seven guys drinking anything that looked like it might flow smoothly and smoking anything they could buy or get rolled up in any kind of paper thay could find. Don't know what some of that stuff was, but some of it sure smelled good.

That being said, I can't imagine someone smoking in the great outdoors is going to do me much harm at this point. That is coupled with the rage I feel at folks who know everything legislating morality for every one else. Makes them feel good, I guess. Seat belts come to mind. Smoking is a biggie. Some of the gun laws some do gooders have tried to shove down our throats are ludicrous. An adult selling sex to another consenting adult frosts me. So my vote would be to let them smoke where they can. There are few enough places left in which they can smoke that I wouldn't want to take the out of doors away too.

And after watching the History channel last night, we won't have to worry about it after Dec. 21, 2012. So, hell, let 'em smoke where ever they feel like they need to.

Hill202

My Feedback: (24)

What happens on Dec. 21, 2012?

Gollywock

Has anyone noticed that the biggest complainers seem to be ex-smokers?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

It may have something to do that most people today are ex-smokers.

rcjon

A lady comes upon a teenager smoking a cigarette.

Lady: "Boy, you shouldn't be smoking, it's very bad for you."

Boy: "Lady, my grandfather lived to be 102 years old"

Lady: "Did he smoke?"

Boy: "No, but he minded his own d*mn business."

ss40

I being a former smoker with a quintuple bypass have to say that sometimes a couple of people smoking, bother me a bit at the field, but 4 stroke exhaust(I use four strokes also) is much worse than a cigarette upwind of me. Sure smells more lethal to my lungs also.
Let the poor B*gg*rs enjoy a little bit!

A cousin and I used to dump gasoline from my uncle's gas pumps at the service sation into a tobacco can and soak bullrushes, then light them and redunk them as they were burning. In 90 deg weather also and we are still here.