From the outside, every bar prospers
Smoking has forever been a social event spawned from, for the most part, boredom—in between classes at school, during breaks at work, outside on the porch during parties—and has in turn helped grease the rails of friendship, career networking and love. So it’s no surprise that Chicago’s official smoking ban in bars and restaurants united smokers more than divided them, the cursed crew huddled together, sometimes even in the most frigid of climates, to get their fix. What was unanticipated was the image drinking establishments would present to outsiders—with a steady stream of smokers hitting the sidewalks, every bar looked crowded, no keg left untapped. The projected image of success is the best of its kind: uncontrived, natural and completely unhealthy.
Audience choice
meeting people smoking outside
Audience Comments: “All the smokers outside the neighborhood bars keeping me awake at night”; “Bathroom smoking”;“Cigarette butts all over our sidewalks. Yuck”;“Clean clothes upon returning from bars. Holy shit!”;”going for a smoke gives you an excuse to escape and reset a bland or bad situation”;“Making out with random chicks at bars is tastier”;“Secret Smoking bars: oh they are out there for those who know where to go”;“smell of farts instead of cigarettes in bars”; “there’s a smoking ban?”
Best of Chicago 2008
