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At the time he introduced smoking prohibition to Ireland Martin proclaimed
that people would flock to Irish smoke free bars. However, this has proven
not to be the case. Since the ban when it comes to recreation Irish people
have turned their backs on Ireland and it's bars. Michael Martin is no
exception and
choose to holiday abroad in a country where people are still free to mix and
associate as they wish in bars where smoking is permitted. He also had the
option of
taking his holiday in Scotland, Norway, Italy or Spain, all
countries with smoking ban legislation, but preferred to take himself, his family
and friends to France, a country renowned for it's love of smoking, smoky
bars and restaurants.
According to Martin it was a camping holiday and one
would have thought Michael given his hatred for smokers and
paranoia about secondary smoke would stay on the camping site and not set
foot in bars where no obligation to restrict smoking existed. But proving the idiot he is, he just had to
take himself and his friend to a bar full of smokers. Does it not strike Michael
Martin a bit odd that the smoke in the bar should single him out for
attention and force him to flee ? All other customers were unbothered by
the smoke as are millions of pub goers throughout Europe. What
is so peculiar about himself that cigarette smoke effects him so much ?
According to
Martin " I could not stand it. It's hard to go back into bars filled with
smoke." Obviously he
finds it even harder to stay out of bars filled with smoke. One has to
wonder what afflicts him so much he is compelled to go into bars where he knows people
will be smoking. Has he have no control over his own free will
?
Visiting bars does seem to
pose some difficulty for Michael Martin. Not long after he imposed his
smoking ban on Ireland he and a party of friends stopped at a bar with an
adjacent restaurant. Unlike the vast majority of people who decide to eat at
restaurants Martin and his pals brought their own food and proceeded to make
themselves comfortable and avail of the facilities without placing any
order. He and his party were duly sent packing and told by the owner never
to come back. On another occasion, Martin paid an unplanned visit to a bar
when after falling from his bicycle found himself entering the bar through a
window he'd broken in the process. However, his Mr Bean like escapades with
the bar trade are no joke for owners, staff and customers who have lost
their businesses, jobs and seen their social lives turned upside down. Avoir
une cigarette Monsieur Martin !
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