mlehman Dan, I think if you need to balance the potential losses of existing members against the potential gains of new members who don't want the smoke around, in the long run you'd best put your bets on the new members.
Dan,
I think if you need to balance the potential losses of existing members against the potential gains of new members who don't want the smoke around, in the long run you'd best put your bets on the new members.
I agree. More and more places either on their own or by law are now smoke free. I would think a club would attract more new members to a smoke free environment. I believe the OP commented as hearing such himself.
I am a reformed smoker and severely asthmatic and I never realized how much my smoking may have impinged on other's right to not to have to breathe my smoke til I became a non-smoker. Now I have troubles breathing and know smoking did not at all help my situation with asthma.
I believe smokers have the right to smoke all they want...outside.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Sorry...But NO! I wouldn't join knowing that smoking was permited.
CNW 6000we've gotten quite a few inquiries lately about "Is the Club family friendly?" to which I reply "Accessable yes but several folks do smoke" which then leads to "Nevermind". I fear that we won't be as attractive to new members if they have to tolerate smoke to join. Would any of you join, theoretically, knowing smokers are already "in"?
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Being a former smoker I use to smoke around my past layouts since my home is my kingdom.At the various clubs it all depended on the "smoking/no smoking rule.In the early club years 90% of the members smoke(it was a acceptable thing back then-a lot of members smoked a pipe)..Then came changes..I smoke only if other members smoke or went outside to smoke.After my near fatal heart attack in 2005 I don't even what to be around smoke..Just think I went from a 2 pack a day smoker to a strong anti smoker.
So,here is my thoughts.
In a club sitting there should be NO Smoking unless you are a locomotive.
Provide the smokers a spot outside to puff away..
Be a good neighbor and use a can.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I think if you need to balance the potential losses of existing members against the potential gains of new members who don't want the smoke around, in the long run you'd best put your bets on the new members. That just a fact created by the passing of smoking from the scene of acceptable risks in our society.
I don't want to get down on smokers. They should be able to enjoy their habit. However, things have changed to the point where smoking is seen as a problem for most in our society. If you allow smoking, the club will tend to die off (I know a bad pun, but also with a kernel of truth in it). Making a better atmosphere by not allowing smoking will likely lead to growth in the future. What's best for your club is up to your members to decide, but it should be a decision based on facts, not opinion or -- let's face it -- addiction.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Our club smokers go outside. Its kinda odd everybody 'll be busy with something then they all disappear for awhile then they come back and the busy resumes. BILL
My smoking friends go outside the house. I think the smoke is not good for electirc contact wheel - rail.It goes there down just like in your lungs.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
I smoke in my layout room, but I'm the only one that ever goes in there. I DID put in a big exhaust fan in and only smoke next to that to keep any residue off the layout. I'm considerate and wouldn't think about firing up in anyone elses property.I can't beleive a club would let anyone smoke in their building.
No smoking at my house allowed. Would go double for the layout room.
There is "No Smoking" in my Trainroom, house, shop, garage, tool shed or the barn!
Our club layout is in a 'Business Center' and there is 'No Smoking' in the building. That settles the issue for us. Even without the landlord rules, I would not want smoking in the layout area. I have been to home layouts that are in a smoking enviroment and one can see the yellow residue! We do not allow 'smoking' engines as well....
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
jeffrey-wimberly There's a sign on my front door for all visitors to see: 'IF YOU SMOKE LEAVE YOUR BUTT OUTSIDE!'.
There's a sign on my front door for all visitors to see: 'IF YOU SMOKE LEAVE YOUR BUTT OUTSIDE!'.
There's an "Oxygen In Use No Smoking" sign on my front door. The sign says it all. I may only use it at night but we require all smokers to go outside to smoke.
I would not belong to or visit any club that allowed smoking indoors at the layout. I can barely stand the "smoke" from the steam locos that "smoke" at trainshows
When I was in a club years ago, we had a couple members that smoked. In time, we made it a requirement that smokers were to smoke outside of the club building.
For me, I am a smoker (just a few to get me through the day), but I rarely smoke inside unless the weather is really bad (ie. freezing cold). Even then it is only in my living room and never in any other locations in my home like near the trains. Even visitors are not allowed to smoke inside at my place. The reason is not just the trains but because of the dust and smell, which I don't want to have since it would make it hard to hide my habit from my family when they visit. Also, the dust makes it a pain to have to dust more often and tends to dry my eyes since I wear contacts, and my cats also like to get into things, which tobacco products are a definite no no.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
In good ol´Europe, smoking is banned from all public places. A model railroad club may not really be a public place, but smokers should, IMO, just refrain from smoking within the premises. There is always the time for a break outside...
I was a heavy smoker until 3 months ago and I am really glad to have stopped - gives me more spendable cash on the my trains!
As Bob (bogp40) said, we don't allow smoking in our new club building. We don't even allow smoke units in models, and that goes for visiting modular layouts as well as on our permanent HO layout. If you want to smoke, do it outside. We have 3 awnings on the front loading dock of the new club (http://www.ssmrc.org/Front%203-08.jpg), so there's plenty of room for what smokers we have. Counting Bob, I think there's only a handful of guys in the club that still smoke. It's just kinda become passe, at least in these parts.
Of course, at our old layout, smoking was allowed up until the early 1990's. The old place was started in 1953, so smoking was normal back then. Over the years, the club had developed a certain smell, and especially when smoking was allowed, one had to take a shower before bedtime as your clothes and your hair just reeked of that unpleasant odor. Ick.
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
Thanks for the opinions. I am concerned that if the club asks folks to either take it outside or not at all that the few folks that do smoke will quit the club. I am the club Secretary and we've gotten quite a few inquiries lately about "Is the Club family friendly?" to which I reply "Accessable yes but several folks do smoke" which then leads to "Nevermind". I fear that we won't be as attractive to new members if they have to tolerate smoke to join. Would any of you join, theoretically, knowing smokers are already "in"?
Dan
Hi!
No Smoking - Except for Steam Locos & Alcos!!!
While I am a supporter of individual rights, my layout room & house is strictly off limits to smoking!!!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Any one smoking on or near railroad property is tied to the tracks and we pull out the steam engine, black hat and handle bar mustache. Per "THE BOSS" (AKS MY WIFE).
I can't imagine many clubs would permit smoking within their walls these days.
Anyway, like many of you here, I am an ex-smoker and I don't like people smoking inside the house or where I spend my time modeling. I have a couple of friends who still smoke as does my son and for some reason I don't seem to mind it when they smoke in my car if they have the widows open.
Truth to tell, with all of that secondary smoke about the place I may not be such an ex-smoker as I thought
Bruce
Not a club, but get frequent visiting relatives (one problem with living in Sin City.) A lot of them (including both my kids) are tobaccoholics.
Smoking in the layout room - NO!
Smoking anywhere in the house? - NO!
My wife smoked for 40 years, and is now paying the price with breathing problems, including really bad reaction to tobacco smoke. I've never smoked, so I don't know why I have similar problems - but I do. The upshot is, the comfort of the residents trumps the guests' desire to smoke.
In our case, it's not an arbitrary decision.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with locomotives and guests that don't smoke)
Chris--
No flame war from this end. I smoke also, and have a garage layout. I do my smoking outside the house, which is NOT my garage, and I'll agree with you, tobacco smoke has these little bitty things in it that get on the track and can build up on the track enough to interrupt smooth running. I figure that I have enough of a problem vacuuming up the pollen out here in the Sacramento Valley, I don't need to compound it with scraping off tobacco residue, either.
Very few of my friends smoke, and those that do know that any smoking when they visit me is done outside in the back yard where it dissapates very quickly (and frankly, is absorbed by my Eucalyptus tree). But there are no ashtrays in my garage, because there is no smoking. Of course, rainy weather out here means several people crowded under my back-porch awning, LOL!
As I said, I have to run track-cleaning trains often enough just because of the Pollen around here during Spring and Summer when I'm really running the trains full force. Nature gives me enough of a problem without me adding to it with tobacco smoke.
I like to think I'm a pretty conciencous smoker, and so are my friends that smoke. It's all about good manners, and making sure that the second-hand stuff is well away from those who don't smoke, IMO.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I don't smoke anymore, but when I did the club rule was "Do it outside".
AmanaMedic Hi Dan, I'm a smoker...but I smoke outside even at home. I just don't want the residue all over everything, plus my wife and dog don't smoke...so I don't force them to breathe it in. That said, I'm a "considerate smoker." It would be nice if there could be some accomodation for the smokers of your group. I'll quit here, I sense a potential, unwanted flame war about to erupt over this topic. Good luck, Chris
Hi Dan,
I'm a smoker...but I smoke outside even at home. I just don't want the residue all over everything, plus my wife and dog don't smoke...so I don't force them to breathe it in. That said, I'm a "considerate smoker." It would be nice if there could be some accomodation for the smokers of your group.
I'll quit here, I sense a potential, unwanted flame war about to erupt over this topic.
Good luck,
Chris
Completely agree with you Chris. I am a smoker also. There are just too many inconsiderate and careless smokers.
I wouldn't ever think of smoking at our club, Beside the issue of secondhand smoke is the fire hazard. Hundreds of thousands of dollars could go up in SMOKE!
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Mine's a private layout. No smoking allowed. There's a covered patio nearby if you must.
If you've ever had a fire, you'd know why you don't want anyone smoking around your layout. It took about 50 passes with the Centerlines to get things right and that was with only relatively light exposure.
Smoking in the layout room is just the same, only in slow motion. You can fool yourself at first, because it's a slow degradation, but I'll guarantee you won't want the performance drop-off in the long run.
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
No smoking on the premises. One small smoking area outside.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
I am not a club, but have a large layout with operators who come regularily. Mine is strickly NO SMOKING, and I include dipping and chewing in that. Visitors who come, or tours who come are given the same information. Scenery can burn, carpet will burn, curtains along the layout can burn, the nicotine will cause problems with pick up and electrical items, plus someone can get burned.
NO SMOKING
Bob
I did a search but kept getting the "Oops" message. Can you folks help me out? My club (15 members now) has no rule with respect to smoking at the club (around the layout). There are 4 of them that smoke and 11 of us that don't. I intend on bringing the smoking topic up at our next meeting and wanted some background (I think I know what I'm going to hear but want to hear anyway!) on what other clubs do. Do you disallow it completely? Restrict it to a closed off room? No rule? Thanks in advance.