Smoke-easies

[MrBern]

Bars ignore smoker ban

snippet:
Despite the smoking ban - because of it, actually - Philadelphia now has "smoke-easies," a play on "speakeasies" that came to us with the Prohibition of alcohol. Prohibition was enacted in 1920, repealed in 1933 and largely ignored in between. I'm surprised at how many Americans meekly obey smoking bans.

This is about Philadelphians who don't.

[Feraud]

That is interesting and makes total sense. I wonder if there are any hidden "smoke-easies" in this city.
The funniest line..

For reasons even the dimmest Nicotine Nazi would understand, I'm not naming names or giving locations of the "smoke-easies" I found.

[Elaina]

Yeah, I ran into a couple of them in Oregon. Of course, when it gets this bad in Texas, I will staunchly support them, even if I've quit. G-grandma Grace rant he speakeasies, have to keep the family tradition alive of causing trouble.

[VivianRegan]

Arizona's smoking ban (including bars!) is going into effect May 1st.

I expect "smoke-easies" to crop up... or at least, I wish they would. Booze and smoke go together. There are some places that are much more attractive, too, through a smokey haze.

Also, I wonder how long it'll take for the decades-long smoke-stink to leave these older establishments. We'll walk in, and it'll still smell like smoke!

[Baron Kurtz]

Oh, well this was inevitable.

Let the smokers go to organised crime for the joy of smoking. I'll stick to my smoke-free atmosphere (starting this summer in London! )

bk

[Cacklewack]

Praise God for Smoke-easies!

Matt

[Story]

I used to live in an ancient three-story circa 1910 twin that had been a speak-easy and still had the (long-abandoned) bar in the basement.

[staggerwing]

Funny coincidence. I woke up early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I was for some reason thinking about how I used to enjoy a drink and cigar at the local bar, and how, with the smoking bans everywhere I don't go to such places anymore. I was also thinking about how the few places that do allow smoking prohibit pipe and cigar smoking, making us the most discriminated against. Then it hit me...what if? An underground drinking and smoking establishment along the lines of a speakeasy! Then, I get up, start browsing through the Fedora Lounge, and I find this thread. Kinda hard to come up with a really new idea these days!

[celtic]

about a year ago i was in a local dive and noticed that a few people were illegally smoking cigarettes at the bar.

i asked the tender what the deal was, and she pointed to a large fishbowl filled with paper and coins. "that's the smoker's ban fine jar. all the regulars who smoke add to it. if we get busted and get a fine, that jar's going to pay for the ticket"

"well, what would people do if i brought a cigar in and smoked it?"

"they'd probably get really pissed"

"oh."

[Paisley]

Sounds like a great system.

I really don't understand why anyone would rather smell cigarettes than cigars or a pipe, though. Maybe I have an unusual olfactory sense.