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Out of the Humidor
CA Readers
From the Print Edition:
Tom Selleck, Nov/Dec 2007
(continued from page 3)
Dear Marvin,
In your recent fine issue [October 2007], Mr. Tom Nelson of New Jersey wrote
on the absurd smoking ban in Hawaii. Let me tell you about our sad experience in Honolulu.
President Bush was in the city. One of his aides was in a lounge late at night at the
international market. He was forced to go out into the street to smoke and was severely beaten and
robbed. We were at a five-star hotel on the beach and at 2 a.m. I went outside for some ocean air.
Because of the ban, an elderly lady went out to the sidewalk to smoke. A filthy beach bum started
to hit on her and I had to send him on his way—at age 78.
Well, the local newspaper was filled with letters, all antismoking. Immediately I wrote an article and sent it to the editor. We pointed out the two incidents and asked him to print my pro-smoking article in all fairness. A full week went by, and nothing. I then called his private secretary and said we would gladly put in a half-page article in his competitor's paper at my expense. We would point out how biased his paper was, etc. Needless to say, the article was in the next day's paper.
For your information, many business bars and tourist stores had to close because of this stupid law. The great hotel we were at had dozens of Japanese cancel, cancel, cancel. Well, they were forced to open up a large area outside for smoking on the third floor. They gave in!
Bill Hurlbutt
Lincolnshire, Illinois
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