I was rather interested to hear the following story when I caught up with an old friend who I hadn't spoken to since last summer.
The friend tells me how on a beautiful sunny day, he was with a mate and they were both sitting outside of their local pub smoking.
Apparently, a man came outside with a meal, sat on the table next to their's - despite others being available - and then politely asked the smokers to put out their cigarettes so he could enjoy his meal.
Personally, I would have pointed out that there were other tables both inside and outside; and that as a non-smoker he has more choice about where to sit and where to go; and I would have said that I would indeed put out my cigarette once I had finished it.
This, however, is not what happened.
The smoker in this case replied :"Yes, certainly," before then stubbing out his cigarette in the man's meal.
As much as I can sympathise with this action, this kind of behaviour will not help our cause for choice but rather give the antis a loaded gun with which to continue to shoot us in the head.
Image is everything and it's hard enough to escape the "filthy smoker" view that society has of us without, frankly, bad mannered behaviour like this.
As much as this issue has become a friction point more than it ever was before the divisive blanket smoking ban, I would urge angry and offended smokers to ensure they get the upper hand in these instances by remaining dignified and polite even in the worst of circumstances and let the antis be seen for what they are - selfish and intolerant anti-humanists who care only for themselves.