Well, this is a bit of a thread jack, but since we are all ranting here, I thought I would skip starting a new thread.
Saturday, my fiance and I were walking around the Countryclub Plaza here in Kansas City. We stopped at a cafe for a glass of wine and a cigar. I asked the host for a smoking seat, and he suggested the upstairs balcony which was temporaily enclosed and heated for the winter months. So we went there, ordered our drinks and I had just finished lighting my cigar when the waiter came and said that I couldn't smoke my cigar there. He said, yes, this is a smoking section, but our new "corporate policy" forbids cigar smoking because of complaints by other customers. MAN was I PISSED! For my fiance's sake I refrained from causing a scene, but this is rediculous. We were the only ones sitting in this part of the balcony, and there was a closed door between us and the rest of the restaurant. Not to mention the fact that the entire upstairs was bar/lounge which was designated a smoking section as well! I did not even get to take a single puff on my cigar (an LGC Serie R Torpedo) I told my Fiance that I wasn't going to stay here and put up with that. so she excused herself to the Lady's room, and I took both our glasses of wine up to the bar and told them we were leaving. The waiter gave me an $18 ticket for the wine... THE NERVE! (The bartender was kind enough to void the ticket and apologised for our inconvienience) What is this wolrd comming to...no smoking in the SMOKING SECTION?!?