Enough is enough. Both of my breakfast/brunch outings this past week were ruined by Virginia’s malignant pastime; smoking. I know I know, we are ‘down south’. Who cares. Its 2008 not 1955, and by now everyone knows how bad cigarette smoke is. If we can smoke whenever we please we should also be able to shoot people in the gut, for fun. While both might result in death, for some reason when someone waves a gun in the air we all run for the hills, yet when they smoke, we just mutter under our breath. It’s really never ok to smoke amongst people who haven’t given you the permission to do so.
What was supposed to be a great breakfast at the Blue Moon Diner on Sunday Saturday was ruined by two things; 1) the impeccably slow service at the counter(55 min to get our food), and 2) all of cville’s chain smokers insisting on making the Blue Moon Diner their go to smoke joint on a Sunday Saturday morning.
To top that off, I tried Fox’s Cafe this morning for breakfast (review to come), and the first thing that greets you at 730AM besides the fleeting cold from the closing front door is cigarette smoke. Again, common, at 730AM? Is there no decency left in this world?
While Virginia and Charlottesville specifically have yet to enact an anti-smoking law at restaurants/bars, that doesn’t mean we have to wait. The next time someone lights up next to you, just punch them in the face.
If you aren’t so bold, you could just tell them to eff off. That always gets someone’s juices flowing. Why should we wait for laws to determine how unhealthily we live our lives? So cVillains, lets unite and smoke the smoke out. As I recall, an overwhelming majority of you (72%) would support a smoking ban, so lets start now.
Waking up in the morning smelling like an ashtray is one thing (also deplorable) after a crazy night drinking and dancing, but eating it in your brunch and going to work smelling like that? That we should not tolerate.
Photo courtesy of Hagbard on Flikr
Popularity: 19% [?]
Tagged as: ban, Charlottesville, Questions, smoking
I say if someone wants to smoke, then I’ll light them on fire.
nice, lets turn up the heat! it is rather cold in cville right now…
Blue Moon has a non-smoking section. You chose to sit at the lunch counter, which is in the smoking section. Probably not a good choice for you, buckaroo.
Would have been nice if that picture was under a cut.
dammit, did not know. Even so, still light them on fire.
Funny that this was posted now, as just moments ago I reiterated my obsession with Blue Moon. Now, I can relate to hating smoke with your food. It drives me crazy that this state allows people to smoke just about anywhere, but you went one step too far when describe the love of my life.
I was also at Blue Moon on Sunday morning. They were behind on opening due to a power outage and this may have slowed their usual Sunday service (it did take longer than normal). Now if you were complaining about a Saturday morning, I could understand, as they are always PACKED on Saturdays. You must realize though that is it difficult for a place with a kitchen their size to meet the demands of all its customers as quickly as one would like. The smoking should be changed, but they serve alcohol as well and the two generally (unfortunately) go hand in hand.
On a normal Sunday I have no trouble finding a seat (in fact I am usually able to even sit in about the same place) and I get my food relatively fast. I feel your post holds some valuable points, but please give my love a break for this Sunday…maybe even a second shot.
Amen cocoNUT! Where are all the angry posts from smokers?
–or rather, angry comments
Haha, those hotheads are coming on soon enough. As for Blue Moon still being a great place, STILL IS. Actually I realized it was Saturday morning. My theory on the restaurant business is thus: don’t take more than you can handle. If you are so busy that it takes 55 min to get your food out, don’t seat that many people, there is no excuse for food taking an hour, I don’t care how busy you are. Thats why most places tell you there is a wait for a table…the fine line between customer service and revenue….RIDE IT HARD.
This would come down to you not going there if you know there will be a wait. If you can’t stand the heat (wait) get out of the fire (Blue Moon aka Best thing ever). I’m sorry, I get a little hot-headed when it comes to my obsessions, let’s not fight. Go on Sunday. You may see a difference.
Let he who is without vice, cast the first stone.
Make your point with your dollar, not with an over zealous, self righteous appeal for random violence until the nanny state comes and backs you up.
Are not most eateries in this town smoke free? The two you picked are notorious, why even stay if it puts a whole florida key’s worth of sand in your vagina? Why not, at least, even attempt to find out if there is a non smoking section? You had 55 minutes to kill did you not? Why in the world would you just sit there and, ahem, fume?
This post: “My umbrage, let me show you it. Hulk smash”
/good enough for ya sparky?
Is that a child in that photo…..tell me it’s not a kid please
um, what’s that supposed to be a picture - it’s freaking me out a little.
hairy butt = no child
Well put belmont yo. I don’t think I will ever understand arguments like that. Did someone force the NUT to breath smoke? Why does he have more rights than the owners of the restaurant (who are very good people by the way)? They have made a choice to allow smokers; were you misled? NUT, do you also demand things that aren’t on the menu?
Well Thor I don’t know where you acquire your children—-
Whoops. So sorry.
Blue Moon is indeed awesome but has been a ‘cigarette and coffee’ brunch place for eons. Let those who enjoy their cigarette and morning coffee while reading the paper have their space. The nonsmoking section even has a fireplace! And that is much cozier than the bar. Fox’s is still kinda stuck in 1955 though. It’s country in that way that isn’t hip (yet) - Randy Travis on the radio and women who have been waitressing longer than your parents have been out of gradeschool. You know Maya also has brunch and it was nonsmoking at least upstairs when I went there last. Not like everywhere in town is filled with smoke. Try eating breakfast out in upstate NY without inhaling secondhand smoke - then come to Cville and we’ll see if you complain.
I agree. Shouldn’t complain about smoke when you deliberately sit in the smoking are, particluarly at the diner. I’ve always been told how long the wait is expected to be.
I would prefer a a smoking ban, buit I would be happy to see the diner and the C&O exempted.
Did you wait to be seated or just plop yourself down on a stool?
Puhhleease cigarettes and coffee are like, so 1987.
And not thinking your cunning post all the way through is so 1983.
Thor you obviously don’t have children….Some are quite fuzzy (no jokes about my werewolf ansestry pleaze)
-and please fix the spelling bug
I knew this would be a hot subject. Actually, I smoke, just not while I’m eating. It’s akin to drinking and driving(or texting and driving), they simply don’t mix. If smoking at the bar was banned, I would probably get a bit steamed, but only because Virginia has spoiled me. I moved here from Austin, where smoking was banned a few years ago. I was used to it, to a degree. Just because I smoke does not mean I derive pleasure from inhaling the acrid, wafting fumes while trying to enjoy my meal. I don’t smoke in resturants and I don’t drink(or text) on the highway. I do try to be considerate. And if you want to light me on fire, please dip me in alcohol first.
And Thor, Im with 204. Im not sayin it is or is not, but that could be kid-butt.
/”What are those? Wine coolers and condoms? Why don’t you take a seat over there… “
@21 Two, I know what you mean, fuzzy and all. yep.
This is the correct view, in my opinion. At Blue Moon, I won’t light up if my nearby patrons are still eating. It’s just as easy to step outside for a few. But NUT’s being so glib, it’s kind of hard to talk reasonably about it.
If I’m not mistaken, you were so like 4 in 1987, coconut. I know, the CODE, the CODE… Stopped by Blue Moon for brunch on Sunday and they were closed!?! (but lights on inside, so they had power?) Same thing at Maya.. had to go to Shebeen (they no longer do brunch, but had a nice lunch anyway [the bar area is a smoking, and apparently a ‘talk loudly on your cell phone in another language’ section]) I’ll take Blue Moon and smoke any day, one of the most social restaurants in town.
Whoops. Pretend there are blockquotes around that first part…
they were closed!?! (but lights on inside, so they had power?)
Inside scoop: power went out; owner said to start closing at 1:30pm if power hadn’t returned; 1:30 came and they started closing; then the power came back on around 1:45 or 2:00pm, and they kept closing.
Stanley, were you one of the two or three people at the counter at the time? I think we were there right at 1:45 or 1:50…
Can we have a substitute picture Thor?
That looks like classic, fratboy “he fell asleep face down, half naked and drunk during spring break so we decorated his crack and took a picture” butt, if you ask me. Which you didn’t.
Is the picture bad?
Stanley, were you one of the two or three people at the counter at the time?
Nope. A friend was there. Sorry you missed out!
Blockquotes are sooo 2006.
This is the red villain, no more blockquotes for you, bucko!
it must be Thor is the picture
in the picture damnit.
There just seems to be some question as to whether that is underage crack, Thor. I don’t think so. Others disagree. Or, at least, they think the possibility exists that it could be underage. Which would be bad. Underage crack is bad, m’kay?
It’s from Flickr so I assume it complies with their TOS.
Thor must not be familiar with Rule 2257, regarding age records keeping, nudity and the inteweb. (Go one use the google) Why would he want to bring that kind of federal jazz down on this site, over what is a not very funny picture?
Must be back on the bender.
I moved here from a place where everybody smokes, bar beer costs half what is does here, and it’s legal to wrestle a bear with his teeth pulled out. Is that really what you want in Charlottesville?
Assumption is a great legal defense. The Costanza “Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?”
And some of the crap I pulled from Flickr before Flickr got around to pulling it would make you blush (no not kid stuff duh, but way against their TOS).
Just sayin.
cocoNut is such an a-hole
it’s legal to wrestle a bear with his teeth pulled out.
Actually, that might be fun, depending on how many Blue Motorcycles I’ve consumed. It would be more fun than wrestling a hobo with his teeth pulled out. (which, for the record, I have never done either)
Yup, I’d totally watch bear wrestling. Especially if the bear was smoking a cigarette ; )
I wrestled a bear with teeth. He had his teeth and I had my car. I smoked a lot afterwards.
hobos, not so much.
Lys, are you suggesting that Yupster should wrestle a bear? I’d totally watch that too! (though from the non-smoking section)
what else should we do cocNut? You seem to know how everyone should live his life.
What is up with people coming out with absolute/mean posts on their first post?
Ff, it’s like you showed up to a party and started yelling obscenities. Welcome, but be ye mo’ nice.
poop, balls, crap.
HD, I am right there with you. Now how do we go about getting a bear, and who do we know crazy enough to de-tooth it…
IS THAT A MEMBER OF THE PEN 15 club!?
HD, I am right there with you. Now who do we go about getting a bear, and who do we know crazy enough to de-tooth it…
As for the bear, I hear the Cirque du Soleil kids are in town…they probably have a spare bear to share.
HA! Love your editing of the picture, Thor. That is awesome-ly low tech.
well played!
ff- if you want serious stone cold news go to the daily progress
On that note, there is truth in humor
Beautiful, edit, Thor! Especially that the joint remains visible. It’s those little touches that really make or break a pic.
Eat someplace else and quit bitching.
I’m pretty sure the Nook is nonsmoking (and open at 7AM! M-F), and I believe Bluegrass opens at 7:30 Sat and Sun, if not everyday, so you can show up at 7:30 for no smoking and no line.
i’m a non-smoker, but i know, and like, way too many people who smoke to want to boot them out. you can always sit in non-smoking in a restaurant. and bars, well, you’re at a bar, not a health club. besides, i admit to occasionally having a cigarette when intoxicated. so i have no place getting self-righteous about it.
and brilliant editing skills, thor. hilarious.
C216 is also still smoking, sometimes it’s a bit much on a Saturday night.
Only 1/3 of 216 is smoking. The rest, non.
But their brunch sucks.
I don’t think they’re really into the whole breakfast thing..
cocoNUT, you (tacitly) give people permission to smoke near you when you sit in the smoking section. But really, they don’t need your permission. A privately owned restaurant, the owner gives them permission by allowing smoking in portions of his or her business. If you can’t deal with that, then vote with your feet. It’s not the smoker you have a problem with, it’s the restaurant. If they said “no smoking allowed” there’d be no smoke.
If I ever have the free time, or the money, to “brunch”, I wouldn’t care what I was going on around me. Seems like a luxury problem to me.
I resent that comment! I don’t have a lot of extra money, but Sunday morning is my hard earned treat to myself once a week (okay, that and South Street on Tuesday, but that is cheap seeing as the beer is only $2.50). I never eat out and think that you are making an unfair generalization.
I resemble that remark!
some alternatives to disgusting smoke at brunch.
Escafe
Boheme
Bluegrass
yum yum!
@61: nonsmoking sections are sometimes extremely smoky, like applebee’s. the smoke can’t read the signs.
of course, i figure if you go to a classless place like that, you get what you pay for.
I leave you guys alone for 12 hours and what do I get? Over 200 comments to read through. I love you. Smoochy-smooches for everyone. And some fresh baked brownies. They might be special brownies.
can we smoke the special brownies inside?
A diner without cigarettes is like a hooker without….
A diner without cigarettes is like a hooker without….
a mangina?
yeayy brownies. lilith, are you working for the government and trying to fatten us up ?
I think we’re forgetting the most important part of this argument: If you smoke, making out with you is disgusting. No seriously, it’s like kissing….something really dirty and smokey smelling. It also kills you and the second hand smoke kills me and ruins my food. So smoking just sucks in general. That being said, I don’t hate any of you smokers, I just don’t want to kiss you or eat near you. And I don’t.
The Great Oz has spoken.
zo.ca.lo and maya are non-smoking. put that into your brunch scedule, and by that i am only referring to maya.
and on the making ot thing- i dated a guy who said that he wanted me to smoke because(ew!) it would turn him on to lick an ashtray.
(ew!) it takes all kinds…if you don’t ike smoke- don’t go to blue moon.
hope you all voted. apparently, obama and mccain won. belmont, yo got his wish.
i voted at 4:30 at veneble with one other voter. yea for under 20% turnout.(cough).
i truly have a love/hate relationship with charlottesville. i think we would all be better off with an ocean.
Sounded like ff needed a cigarette!
sea liver - that’s why I have high hopes for globabl warming. Mmmmmmm beach front property.
ok - now I want a cigarette.
i haven’t read all the posts, but has anyone mentioned that cocoNUT chose to eat at the two SMOKIEST restaurants in town?? I’m sure you could get a nice smokeless pancake at many other venues (Blue Grass Grill for instance). You can’t stop others from smoking, but you can remove yourself.
Yes, that was mentioned, not in those exact words. Basically cocoNUT is dumb. He is able to go to other restaurants and even capable of sitting in the non-smoking section. Instead of doing the intelligent thing he chose to complain…about my love.
cocoNUT, remove yourself!
less snobby options for brunch:
IHOP
Waffle House
Golden Corral
Cici’s
[…] my previous post on my awful experience at Blue Moon due to smokers being smokers, I went back (sat in the back), […]
What I dont understand is why people want to ban smoking in resturants… I think it just comes down to this.
1. - The resturant must allow it, and proably gets quite a few more smoking customers than anyone else.
2. - Cant you go elsewhere? I mean there is like a hundred places for you to go for breakfast in Charlottesville.
3. - Do we really need another senseless law telling us what we can and cant do in public places?
Seriously, there are PLENTY other things to whine and write about.
The best part about Blue Moon is the long, long wait. It gives you more time to drink beer, especially on early weekend mornings. Geez people…
Um…if you were sitting at the counter, you were sitting in the smoking section. The waitresses are pretty clear about that, as in “We have seating at the counter, if you don’t mind the smoking section.” I’ve been sitting at the counter looking well-done over by the night before and polite young men turn to me and say “Do you mind if I smoke?” OMG! My general response is “It’s very nice of you to ask me, but you ARE in the smoking section, so, bombs away, brother.”
Oh, but maybe, instead of going in the side door that you’re supposed to use, you went through the door that says “PLEASE USE THE OTHER DOOR.” And consequently you stumbled right into…dun-dun-DAH…the smoking section! (This is a pet peeve of mine, if you can’t tell…people who cannot / do not read signs.)
There are some nights when I can’t take the smoke at the BMD and don’t go there for dinner. Otherwise, you know what, I don’t want the government telling me I can’t have an abortion, and I don’t need the government to tell other people they can’t smoke. I can just take my business elsewhere if I need to.
so I am not even going to pretend to know what this thread is even about because I am just tooooooo comfortable with my nusic and Hakkaisan at this point to scroll up so … with that said… hey Rex! I am sure wherever you work kicks ass because you have the energy to stand by it at this hour or just in general….YAY! smokers suck. I smoke when I drink and it sucks… but I do. It endangers everybodies lives… people should not be forced to work in unhealthy environments… we are under the law supposed to be able to work in a healthy or atleast not harm doing workplace in the Commonwealth which SOMEHOW…. cigarette smoking has become immune to. It is a proven FACT that cigarette smoke causes terminal disease among those that don’t pertake? (I cant spell) in the joy of lighting up a Parlie with that beer/sake/stoli but why should I have the right to kill people with my smoke in public spaces? fuck that!