Printable View
http://www.startribune.com/local/146156485.html
Careful if you only have 30 free articles to read... but Target Field is now smoke free. All of Target Field. The plaza, the sidewalks surrounding it, everywhere. I don't smoke- and don't enjoy the smell- but I think this is ridiculous. Especially when chewing tobacco will still be allowed on the field. The only positive: if they bring back the recording of Bob Casey's famous call before every Metrodome home game.
If Jim Leyland can smoke there, everyone should be able to smoke there.
I certainly respect countering opinions on this issue, but from my perspective, kudos to the Twins organization for this one. I respect someone's right to smoke, but I don't want to smell it, breathe it, or otherwise have to deal with it. Personally, I don't want to have to avoid an area of Target Field to allow smokers (plus its likely very difficult to create an area to specifically house them). I think they have bent to the popular will on this. Nothing worse than enjoying the outdoor air, only to have it poluted by something smelling worse than the Metrodome's bathrooms.
I wonder what all the employees at Target Field are gonna do now that they're losing their smoking spot on 7th.
The smoking area was outside of the stadium. You could easily avoid the smell by not going out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by LimestoneBaggy
The area was OUTSIDE the stadium, you're only going to be exposed to it if you join those out there or walk by. It also was located by a very low-traffic gate as it's only accessible from the streets surrounding Target Field in one direction. I understand the smell part as I myself do smoke and hate it as well, but this is America. And why is there not some room for compromise, such as making those who wish to smoke leave the property, but allowing re-entry into the stadium? Is this not reasonable? Other stadiums do this, and in fact, Target Field is now one of only 6 MLB stadiums with absolutely ZERO provisions for smokers that aren't required to be fully non-smoking due to state or city laws (4 are because of this) -> http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/majorlea...umpoliices.pdf
But I guess this just means I'll be exposing all my neighbors in the stands to my Grizzly Straight Chewing Tobacco and spitter bottle. Bet they'll enjoy that far less than they do my smoking in the designated smoking area... [Edit: been told Chewing Tobacco non-use is also enforced, though I see it all the time there]
This is not a low traffic gate. Everyone coming in gate 6 and heading up the escalators on the 3rd basline passed by that gate. With the wind blowing from the west, it would get awful smokey in that area of the park. Also after the game, everyone would be forced to walk along the smoking area as they waited for the light rail. I'm surprised that they allowed smoking there for the past two years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Lein
I still would say it's a low-traffic gate, I've gone to plenty of games there and it's always one of the least crowded areas of the park (I'm talking during games when the smokers would be taking their smoke break there).
What possible harm comes from allowing smoking customers to make their way OUTSIDE the stadium to have a cigarette?
Kind of a funny story: We all know the quintessential "No Smoking Allowed in the Metrodome", right? Well, that was only as far as paid customers were concerned. The clubhouses, the club offices and the managers' offices were not smoke-free. As a matter of fact, Hrbie and Gaetti used to "celebrate" Twins' victories with "heaters"... It's all PR...
None, but it's politically incorrect these days, so that's what you get...Quote:
Originally Posted by USAFChief
I don't smoke, though I think this is dumb. I don't live up in Minny anymore, so I don't know if smokers paid for the stadium with a sin tax... if they did, they should be livid.
In addition to the clubhouses, etc, the Metrodome also allowed patrons to smoke in the Rally Room - a bar in CF which also had 2-for-1 beer specials in the 3rd and 5th innings. Great place to be if the game slipped out of hand.
Leaving the actual stadium and re-entering for any reason is considered a HUGE security risk, regardless of if it's just for a smoke or whatever. Even the smoker's pen was a potential security hazard as it wouldn't be terribly hard for a passerby to slip something to someone that's already been cleared by security.
The no re-entry policy is pretty standard at virtually all major sporting and entertainment venues, and is unrelated to any smoking ban.
I would guess part of the reason this is being pushed now is a combination of continually mounting public pressure and laws to limit public smoking, as well as the push by MLB to get Tobacco of any kind out of the game. While it didn't outright ban it, the new CBA has specific language aimed at restricting public use of tobacco of any kind by players.
And diehardtwinsfan, I don't believe any money from cigarette taxes went to the stadium, I think it's all coming from the general sales tax hike.
This. Certain days smoke was blowing back into the stadium and that affects everyone. And as for chewing tobacco, as digusting as that is, it doesn't affect anyone else so there is nothing wrong with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by minn55441
This is a great move by the Twins. Yes it will piss some people off, but what policy change doesn't piss someone off?
In principle, I think this is a great move by the Twins, but I think my dad won't come to another Twins game with me (He typically has 3-4 Cigarettes per Baseball game as far back as I can remember).
If someone doesn't want to go to a Twins game with me because they can't smoke, I'm more annoyed with their misguided, unhealthy, expensive addiction, not the Twins.
If I had a dollar for every time I tried to get my dad to quit smoking, we'd have season tickets.
I share in your frustration. But when people I love whine about things like this, my annoyance gets aimed at the whiner, not the policy.
Read the link I provided above, this statement is flat-out not true.Quote:
Originally Posted by spideyo