There's a nice restaurant in downtown KC called the Majestic Steakhouse. On the main floor, there are 4 non-smoking booths in the very front, and everything after that is non-smoking (there's a bar between the two, which helps). I've eaten there a few times and have had no problems with smokers while eating. However, downstairs is the Jazz club, which is all smoking... being that it's downstairs in an old building (bad vents), it's a cloud of smoke.
If I want to enjoy a great steak, I can do so without the smoke. There are people who walk by that have been smoking, but whatever. If I want to listen to have a drink and listen to jazz, I have to put up with the smoke in the restaurant, and then go home smelling like smoke, and then wash my jacket so it doesn't smell like smoke for days.
So why can't those who want to smoke, do so in the smoking section (which includes the bar upstairs, so you wouldn't even need a table)... if it's while they eat or after they eat, and then have a smoke-free area downstairs to drink and listen to jazz? That's my point... you don't have to ban it all together, just compromise a little.
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An analogy might be that if you have a screaming 2 year old, don't bring them to The Majestic Steakhouse. Have some decency for those around you and either find a babysitter or go to Golden Corral. Don't be oblivious to your surroundings and make other people deal with it. I'm not going to bring a little kid to a restaurant like that, nor am I going to be loud and obnoxious myself; and I expect the same from other people. It's the same for smoking... if smokers have a place to smoke upstairs, do it there, and then have respect for the non-smokers that want to go to the jazz club.
Logical, respectful, and everyone could be happy... yeah, too good to be true.
