Non-Smoking Area
After Memoo’s honour ceremony last month we all went to Gaucho Grill for the very first time to celebrate. I felt like leaving the restaurant the minute the waiter told us with pride that there was no non-smoking area. It left me puzzled.
It was the first restaurant to leave a bad impression on all of us, it’s as though their message was so loud and clear that non-smokers are not welcomed in here. I thought other countries are banning smoking in public places while this restaurant states with clear pride that it doesn’t even have a non-smoking area.
Anyways, we found an empty space upstairs so we changed our mind immediately esp. after checking out their menu. I have to say they’ve got the best steak I’ve ever had, unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy my meal very much when some lady on the table next to us started smoking one cigarette after the other.
I have to add that Le Relais de l’Entrecote is another steak restaurant I went to a few weeks before which had no non-smoking area, in spite of their very tasty food. I say such restaurants should put up a sign that bluntly reads ’only smokers are allowed in here!” In this way people like me won’t think about eating there in the first place and as well to avoid any embarrassment this may cause.
Out of all the cafes I’ve been to I believe that Starbucks is the only one that maintained an excellent atmosphere for non-smokers, especially the one at ThePalms Hotel. I was even more surprised to know the other day on my anniversary that Le Notre cafe (Gulf Rd) haven’t got a non-smoking area. As it seems non of these places care much about what we inhale in but actually care much more about their business income.
This entry was posted on Monday, May 22nd, 2006 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Kuwait, Restaurants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:06 pm
I dunno what to say, i am a smoker and am against stopping smoking in restaurents, a restaurent should have a smoking section depending on the average number of smoking customers, but a restaurent with no non-smokers section whoa that’s taking it to the limit …. isn’t there a law against that.
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:46 pm
but there are more places for non-smokers than there are for smokers! i mean there are places where i feel like i have some sort of disease and should be locked up in a glass cage! also, the restaurants that do have non-smoking areas, give the best section to the non-smokers
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:10 pm
check out applebees, they have a non smoking section but its like tiny and tucked away in the back. usually non smokers should have the best seats but not in kuwait, here smokers rule.
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:43 pm
Frac, I’m 100 % against smoking in public places because it poses a great health risk on everyone esp. little babies.
Ram, I’m not so sure about that point. As for myself, I don’t care much about the good spots as much as the quality of the food I get, as long as I’m not seated in the smoking area of the restaurant.
Some cafes state they have non-smoking areas when in reality it’s only inches apart from the smoking area! That’s not fair either. It means I can’t take my baby anywhere, it’s not safe at all.
I refuse to be a 2ndhand smoker and I won’t sit with any person in office who doesn’t respect not smoking in front of me! I politely ask them to smoke elsewhere. I’m willing to do that in public too if it means it’s going to harm my little one.
Mark, that’s why there’s so little fresh air out there. Another thing about smoking is the cigarette buds that everyone throws out the window, on the streets, and everywhere! What’s that all about! A smoker not only pollutes the air but has rights to litter too.
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:05 am
Hmm… this thing really pisses you off huh! I heard of whole counties goin “Smoke Free” , can’t recall which ones but I was wonderin’ how could they pull something like that off? I mean, imagine if a law is stated here to completely ban smoking in public places, where would the smokers go?! They would do that in a private place, issue never stops there because at private places, maybe their homes, other family members do not like smoking (My dad doesn’t smoke and mom does) so.. problems there too.
I recon it’s hard to go cold turkey on smoking bas Kaman I understand that people out there are concerned about their health. At office, a company approached me with a device / hmm, not sure what to call it; It is like a cubical area- opened space with a special filtering system- it was something new to me, unlike what I have seen from “smoking zones” bas ghaaaaali to install, way toooo expensive, so public places o restaurants would go cheap when it comes to health I guess !
Also, don’t you think that smokers locked in a cube and in front of passing /sitting people look bad!? Isolated , ostracized for smoking…. 7aram..
What about Sheesha places!?!?! Pollution’s everywhere…. Caused by any & everything around….. you just do what you have to do to baby Hassoun and enshallah allah yekhellek yah o keep him safe.
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:31 am
I like the idea of having a smoking area it’s way better to isolate them rather than putting up with their stinky smell.
If I was a smoker I’d have to go with those rules i.e. smoking away from the kids or out of the office. It’s my addiction I cope with it on my own.
Besides, have you heard about SIDS or Cotdeath? What about lung cancer? It’s not funny when a family member falls ill because of some let’s say selfish smoker. Remember it’s their addiction, why do we have to put up with that in public too? And they inflicted this habit on themselves.
It makes me angry to see how passive people are here esp. when it comes to health and environmental issues, to a point some smoke in hospitals and co-ops. That’s not healthy at all.
May 25th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
They seriously can not ban Smoking or selling cigarettes.. it would effect economy badly; Especially in Arab world. It is a trade, sena3a.. lots of peoples’ income depend on growing tobacco and selling it… think of the poor labor involved ….
Then think of it is banned, people would want it more, we will have a black market of cigarettes situation, prices would double, smokers and their families would be effected… etc..
Pearleeetoooo… eheheh! Just teasing you
You know that you are right bas what to do ?!