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Cross-Cultural Smoking Etiquette
I witnessed an interesting cafe scene in Prague the other day.
Two local girls are sitting in a packed local cafe, drinking coffee and chain smoking. Two Americans at a table next to theirs start eating and politely ask the girls if they could stop smoking while they eat. The girls are visibly annoyed, but they do stop smoking. For the rest of the lunch hour, they talk about being fed up with foreigners who bring their healthy-living, assertive attitudes and impose them on the locals. Why don't they stay at their smoke-free homes, they said. The American guys were thinking more in terms of "your freedom ends where my freedom begins."
Mind you, it is virtually impossible to find a smoke free restaurant in Prague and about one half of the adult population smokes. Unlike the US, smoking is still kind of cool here.
Is it OK for a foreigner to ask a local to stop smoking in a place where smoking is allowed? Hmmm, what's a health-obsessed, smoke-hating American to do?
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Food and Drink, Europe, Czech Republic
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
keir lord Feb 1st 2007 8:03AM
It is very unreasonable for them to ask, when in rome.......
Justin Glow Feb 1st 2007 8:48AM
I think it's impolite to ask anyone to stop smoking in a place where smoking is allowed, foreigner or not. Honestly, if I would have been those two girls (no dirty thoughts!) I would have asked the nonsmokers if they could eat somewhere else. OK, probably not...but I would have thought it!
Yeah, yeah -- I know, second hand smoke and whatnot. There is a difference. So what's a health-obsessed American to do when traveling somewhere where almost everyone smokes? Deal with it.
I was a vegetarian for a while, but ended up giving it up because it caused too much trouble while traveling. I didn't want to have to be constantly conscious of where and what I could eat. Sure, it's possible, but I found that the limitations outweighed the health benefits.
For me, travel is about adaptability, and not eating meat or crying every time someone does something that offends me or I don't agree with goes against that.
Willy Feb 1st 2007 9:05AM
Move to a different table.
Iva Feb 1st 2007 9:20AM
To Justin: Really good point about being a vegetarian while traveling. I often wondered how vegetarians did it in places like China or even France for that matter...
Neil Feb 1st 2007 1:12PM
I lived for two years in Prague and endured far too much smoke while there. I really, really hate smoking but never asked for people to stop because I was a guest in their country. I tried educating my friends and applying peer presure when I could, but never went so far as to tell strangers to stop it. That being said, some one is going to have to do this soon as the rest of Europe is starting to outlaw smoking indoors.
Iva Skoch Feb 1st 2007 1:26PM
It will be great when they ban smoking in public places in Prague. I can't wait. If it works in New York, it can work here, too.
Marilyn Terrell Feb 4th 2007 8:37PM
What I found really bizarre in the airport in Vienna is that smoking is banned EXCEPT in restaurants and bathrooms-- the very places most people want to be smoke-free: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog0612_1.html
ROE FERRARA Apr 4th 2007 12:02AM
"WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO". I HATE TO EAT WITH PEOPLE SMOKING NEARBY,I'M USED TO NEW YORK LAWS.
THAT'S WHY WHEN I GO TO COUNTRIES WHERE THEY ALLOWE
SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS I ALWAYS ASK IF THEY HAVE A NON SMOKING AREA OR A WELL VENTILATED ONE. IT NORMALLY WORKS WELL WHRN I TIP THE HOST HOSTESS OR MAITRE D'HOTEL IN ADVANCE. THEY MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT DISTURBED BY SMOKERS. IN SITUATIONS LIKE A SMALL CAFE OR A COFFE HOUSE AS SOON AS THE AIR GETS THICK WITH SMOKE I ASK FOR MY COFFE AND CAKE TO TAKE AWAY AND EXPLAIN TO THE MANAGER THAT I SUFFER FROM ASTHMA
(I DO NOT) AND I CAN HAVE AN ATTACK ANY MINUTE.
LIKE ANYTHING ELSE,THESE COUNTRIES STILL HAVE TO LEARN THE FACTS OF SECOND HAND SMOKE.
milan Apr 19th 2007 2:34PM
When eating in NYC, it really bugged me when I saw a guy sitting next to me in restaurant - wearing shorts with ugly, hairy legs. He was eating with his hands, too. His manners bugged me very much but I would never consider to ask him to dress up or use silverware. Instead, I relocated to different table where I couldn't see him. If the smoking bugged you so much - you should not eat there. People in general do not like when somebody else tells them what to do - especially foreigns.