| Bert Huising |
May 10th, 1999 07:53 AM |
No Merriem, I'm not from Quebec. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here the issue of lighting up in a restaurant, as well as pubs and bars, has been ongoing for years. There was an attempt made; feeble as it may have been, to unilaterally, impose a non smoking by-law in restaurants throughout the greater Vancouver region. The onus, sadly, was placed on the individual municipality or city to stipulate restrictions and enforce the newly created laws. This inequality caused major headaches for restaurant patrons as well as owners. Since the smoking patron knew, in order to be allowed to smoke in a restaurant, all he had to do was drive five minutes into a neighboring municipality, the more tolerant municipalities were perceived to do better business. I don't believe there was an actual opportunity for statistics to be compiled on actual restaurant attendance, because restauranteurs, who believed their businesses were suffering, real or perceived; chose to ignore the new smoking by-laws in a hurry. Now it has become a joke to request a non smoking seat in a restaurant that has softened their attitude towards non smoking. Sorry to be so long winded, but I'm relating this story because I,ve heard the west coast is supposedly the leader in non smoking issues. No, I'm not a smoker. My wife and I are both very adamant in dining smoke free. Our pet peeve is the 'imaginary line' a restaurant arbitrarily places to separate the smoking from the non smoking section. One night a table may be 'smoking'. And a week later, is declared 'non smoking'. I have yet to find an establishment that is able to prevent smoke from entering a non smoking area, without a barrier. So,we get a little annoyed after requesting a non smoking table, we are seated next to a quartet of smokers, and yet, are assured, we are indeed sitting in a non smoking section. Enough said. I find myself defending Amsterdam not because I'm a smoker, but I spent my first 12 years there, and still consider myself an 'Amsterdammer'. My wife travels there on business a few times a year, and I try to visit as often as I can. I take great delight in speaking Dutch to the dutch, who expect english to flow from my lips. I love visiting my old neighborhood, not far from the red light district, I might add. I take great delight in eating french fries with a dollop of 'piccalilly' on top; or some croquettes with Dutch mustard; or a fresh fillet of 'haring' with diced onions, from the little stands still found everywhere. Or to visit the 'Rijksmuseum', or any of the other 20 or so museums I remember visiting as a child; or to take a ride on 'de Rontvaart' through the canals; are some of the simple pleasures I still enjoy in Amsterdam. So, to end this rambling posted posting; I'd like to say: Amsterdam is full of treasures; if you are able to ignore some of its drawbacks. There isn't one 'perfect place' in this world of ours. Thanks very much for allowing me to vent a bit.
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