Smoking or non-smoking? Taking a seat in the smoking section of the past.

Do you remember the last time you walked into a restaurant in the US, requested a table, and the host or hostess asked, “smoking or non-smoking?”

On Gutfeld! the other night, I believe it was Tyrus who made an analogy which got me thinking. He used cigarette smokers as an example of people conforming themselves to the extinction of a lifestyle. He brought up the fact that you used to be able to go into any restaurant and sit in a designated “smoking section” if you wanted to smoke during your meal.

Then all of a sudden, the smoking section had vanished. But you could go sit in the lounge/bar area and smoke in there.

Then there was no longer smoking allowed inside the establishment, but you could sit on the patio and smoke. Until smoking was no longer allowed anywhere food was being served. After listening to this I thought to myself, “wow, it really has been a long time since it was totally acceptable to smoke indoors.”

I’m talking restaurants, hospitals, airplanes, the office, bowling alleys, the mall, and hotel rooms. Even designated smoking areas at high schools (for both faculty and students) were a thing!

Growing up in Nevada we had 24-hour casinos, restaurants, stores, and bars. My bestie remembers the little slot-machine areas as you walked into the grocery store, where you could light up a cigarette. She and I even remember being in college and working in the restaurant industry when the “phasing out” of the smoking section occurred. For a state like Nevada, it seemed so surreal but at the time, I was all for it.

There was even a time when popular sports players, coaches, and even the announcers were lighting up during games.

And those little ashtrays in the arm rests on airplanes? I’m pretty sure I was more used to seeing used gum inside those. It’s wild to think that you could strike a match on a plane without being tackled by security. But sure enough, when you called the airline to book your ticket, you’d be asked, “smoking or non-smoking?”

It’s fascinating to travel outside of the US today because you still see people smoking in public places. But take a look around you the next time you’re out and about here in the states. You certainly don’t see it as often as we once did. Which throws some serious nostalgia on the smoking section.

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