I went to Ocean Breeze Water Park yesterday in Virginia Beach, with my family for a company picnic. I was having a great time sitting at a picnic table near a food distribution point. My daughter slept in her stroller and I was writing a new chapter for another fiction work. I talked to strangers asking for a name. My husband and son went to enjoy the various rides and wave pool.

Well, what happened next appalled me. Behind me a man lite up a cigarette. I turned to see why the smell was so intense and the man was leaning over blowing smoke in my daughter's face. I packed up all my things to move from my table.

I know he was looking at her to admire her. But here is my complaint, my daughter has not the cognitive ability yet to make the decision to start smoking. She has the right to breath clean air until she makes the decision to smoke and slowly kill herself, since smoking is a suicidal choice.

I know the man has the right to smoke; but the rude behavior of smokers, such as what the man did at the water park, has forced non-smokers to pass laws to protect themselves from bad behavior. Those laws are not enforceable, in my opinion.

What is a non-smoker to do? Well, what I did was move.

There is another thing I have noticed by watching programs like "Hells Kitchen" on TV, the chef's smoke. From my understanding, a smoker looses the ability to taste so why cook if you can't taste the food?

Many times I have gone into a restaurant, like "Outback Steak House" or "Olive Garden", and the food has been over spiced. My husband, who's mom was a smoker and died of uterine cancer, says every time the food is over spiced that a smoker must have been our cook.

Also, my husband and a group of college students went to a restaurant that allowed smoking. They offered to help the owner repaint the restaurant because the social group used the place for gatherings and the walls were a dingy gray. The social group was being nice. As they cleaned the walls before priming, the paint changed color from the dingy gray to white. My husband told me that if the walls were that gray, because the owner allowed smoking, imagine what that would happen to a non-smoker just breathing the exhaled smoke.

Another reason, that non-smokers are getting mad at smokers is the thought that anywhere is their ash tray. Tons of cigarette butts have to be cleaned up by someone else because some smoker decides to throw their used cigarette anywhere.

Now what right does a smoker have?

They have a right to slowly kill themselves. Smokers made that choice. As a non-smoker I have the right to not be around it.

Should laws be passed to stop the behavior?

No.

Smokers need to be more polite. As we all know, politeness is not enforceable, or even done anymore.

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About the author: Being a full time writer is the hardest job that I have tried. I have written two books that are currently not published because the company that did publish them went out of business. I have written three childrens books and am currently in the process of finishing my third novel. Please write me with any thought that comes to mind about my columns or anything else, opinions are appreciated. Email Amanda Baker: amaycatbaker@yahoo.com

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