Sjoerd - not to be difficult, but yes, Europe really does need the US tourist dollar.

A host has to be polite with INVITED guests only.

bla bla bla...always this boooooring stuff. Give me a break all you ppl.<BR>If the Americans think smoking is bad...fine. They are all very healthy...If we europeans like to smoke...fine...we are all very healthy...<BR>The thing is...I AM FED UP WITH THIS BLA BLA BLA....<BR>

areyoukidding?: Europe *needs* the US tourist $$ just as much as the US *needs* the European tourist euros. Tourist dollars perhaps represent 0.01% of the EU GDP, so it is negligable. I read somewhere that Europeans spend about as much in the US as Americans spend in Europe, so our tourist euros are just as important for the US as your dollars are for us. Don't misunderstand me, Americans are welcome in Europe, but in terms of economic importance your dollars make a very small contribution to the European economy.

At least they're not complaining about the food!<BR><BR>"Overweight and obesity may soon cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette smoking," Surgeon General David Satcher said.<BR><BR>Approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths a year currently are associated with obesity and overweight (compared to more than 400,000 deaths a year associated with cigarette smoking). In 1999, an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults were overweight, along with 13 percent of children and adolescents. Obesity among adults has doubled since 1980, while overweight among adolescents has tripled. The total direct and indirect costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117 billion in the year 2000. Smoking costs the U.S. at least $97.2 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity.<BR>

How about if we smoke organic cigarettes made in the United States? <BR>Will that make you happy?

If you come to my house and you dont like my smoking, you are free to exit, you have no right to tell me what I can and cand do in my own place. How arogant is that? And thank you all for your concerne about my health, coming from you people that still kill people in the name of justice is very sensitive.

An advice to USA turists- go to Slovenia where smoking is prohibited in restaurants and public places (the other issue is how people follow it)- but you probably haven't heard of that country yet. Check the map of Europe!

Well, if we europeans are so bad and you guys are wasting you $$$ in our places, why don you stay home and stay smoke free in US? remember US is the bigest producer of cigaretes in the world, if we stop smoking you guys have no jobs, right?

Yes, consideration is a two way street. But if I hated cigarrette smoke so much, I would not go to any smoker´s house. I would avoid it. So, Francine is right. You don´t go to people´s homes and complain about their ways. There are also European non-smokers, but they don´t moan and complain all the time, and see it is their right to correct other people´s behaviour.<BR><BR>And Europe really does not need Amercan tourist money. Americans are tiny minority among tourists in Europe. Big majority of Americans never leave their smoke free country. And that is very, very good. Most tourist in Europe are other Europeans and nowadays also Asians.

And to those people who saw fit to pick on Francine´s typos, could you ignore my spelling mistakes. English is my fourth language.

Only two more days before they all go back to harassing their teachers instead of us.

To Rhonda: re: &gt;Mr. Stop It..you seem at your wit's end...need some help with your nasty addiction? Stop spewing waste...bla bla&gt;<BR><BR>I am not a Mr., and I am not a smoker, but I AM at my wit's end! I am disgusted with the hateful, ugly name-calling and insults that go beyond ordinary bickering on the SECOND such thread in a few days.<BR><BR>So Rhonda and others, stop spewing verbal venom---it sounds filthier than any smoke could smell!<BR><BR>Smokers have a problem, they are addicts, yes. Denial is part of the illness. Vicious insults naturally anger them and cause them to respond in kind. <BR><BR>To those who say, don't read the threads, I am concerned with the hostile feelings whipped up between the Americans and Europeans on this board, unless every one of these posters is merely a hate-mongering troll. I may feel the effects next time I go to Europe!<BR><BR>Fodor's please remove this evil thread!<BR><BR><BR>

Don't remove this thread!<BR><BR>Those of us who are too unsophisticated to enjoy the benefits of foreign travel, if in fact we ever did any, need something to occupy our time.

Hey you with the attitude, if you have problems with us smokers, don't do us any favors and stay the hell out of Europe this summer. My question is now, what you guys are doing here on this webpage talking about Europe anyway? make your country better first and compain about others later!<BR>You know what, lets do this: why don't you come up to me next time you are in Frankfurt and tell me to my face how horroble my addiction is and see how far I can kick you vegetarian ass...how about that? deal?

I know all these postirs are the same troll, but can i get in on it too?<BR><BR>I allredy been a smokur, I wanna be a nonsmokur this time. <BR><BR>i hatesmokurs, they reely stink bad!!!!!<BR>Get canser and die ugly stupid smelly smokurs. HAhaha!

It makes me so sad when I visit Europe to see all the really young people smoking and whose fault is it? US Cig. companies who make a huge profit. Smoking is falling off in the US so they export their death sticks to Europe, Asia, etc. I only hope that the anti smoking campaigns will be ramped up in Europe to warn young people about the dangers of smoking to themselves, their unborn children, and the rest of us. <BR><BR>

_________________________<BR> /| /| | |<BR> ||__|| | Please do not |<BR> / O O\__ feed the Trolls. |<BR> / \ Thank You. |<BR> / \ \ |<BR> / _ \ \---------------------´<BR> / |\____\ \ ||<BR> / | | | |\____/ ||<BR> / \|_|_|/ | _||<BR> / / \ |____| ||<BR> / | | | --|<BR> | | | |____ --|<BR> * _ | |_|_|_| | \-/<BR> *-- _--\ _ \ | ||<BR> / _ \\ | / `´<BR> * / \_ /- | | |<BR> * ___ c_c_c_C/ \C_c_c_c____________<BR>

Oh well, the ascii textart in my post above didn't work but I hope the message was noted.<BR>mj

Francine, unfortunately, the following story is much more true that I can say:<BR><BR>http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--americatherude0402apr02.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire<BR><BR>Every day, I find that more and more rudeness and uncivil behavior in the my country (US) must be ignored. Since I don't live elsewhere, thus cannot say if this is similarly epidemic in other societies.